Harris Girls Academy ED - swimming pool

[east-of-the-Rye]

There is a swimming pool at this school,(Homestall Road SE22) which is, amongst other things, a sports academy. I don't know if it's still used - my son used to go there for swimming lessons when at Ivydale School a few years ago (and complained about the green slime on the walls)

I've just noticed a Planning Application for the school to do various things including demolish this pool. I've checked and they don't intend to replace it with a pool. This seems crazy for a sports academy in a city due to host the Olympics in 2012. In addition, Dulwich Baths in due to close for renovation, which will affect not only casual swimmers but also the many primary and secondary schools that have their lessons there. I accept that the HGAED pool may need a lot of work carrying out, but this must be cheaper than building a new one. Is anyone out there doing anything about this? Does the boys school campaign know about it?

http://planningonline.southwarksites.com/planningonline2/AcolNetCGI.exe?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPSESSION=%7B%5B%2A%211D1A020B050304731D3C3D31617C041E28360020373B2D3A033A2131681B1102001216030D02040A06016F691120283F3A3606243629243A06176F767176787E777660017662122B3C203B2A2A0705737E63677D707B76767B67%21%2A%5D%7D

[Nero]

I have heard of this and think it is ill advised. If you get a petition up, let me know. I'd like to sign it. Nero

[snoozequeen1]

Thank you for taking an interest in this. Ten years ago a couple of us Nunhead-dwellers tried to interest them in allowing an adult swim club to use the pool outside school hours but they weren't interested.

When I moved to London I was really shocked by two things: how small and badly supplied the local libraries were, compared to any small town in the north of England, and the total lack of anything but decaying or closed Victorian swimming baths.

It should be astonishing to realise that children hearabouts will have less chance of being able to swim than the Victorians. Although of course I think the current government would probably have a go at the Factory Acts for causing a loss of income to British industry.

[Nero]

Tess Jowell MP reads this site. I will alert her to the thread. Nero

[snoozequeen1]

Nero Wrote:

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> Tess Jowell MP reads this site. I will alert her

> to the thread. Nero

Is that the same Tessa Jowell whose husband is consigliere to Silvio Berlusconi? The same one who has been a government minister for the last decade or so? What would we be "alerting" her too?

Oh please, please!! Hohohohohohohohoho (Splits sides laughing, rolls on floor, etc)

[Nero]

It's a start, snoozequeen1. Now, you go and have a lie down. After all that up-to-date political satire you must be worn out. Sweet dreams. Nero

[snoozequeen1]

post removed for being potentially libellous - The Administrator

[Nero]

It is about a swimming pool, despite your rather recondite axe-grinding. I picture you in a frilly swimcap, noseclip and verrucca socks, doing a studied side-stroke. Who knows, if the place stays open, perhaps I'll get to see whether my prediction is true. Nero

[Huggers]

What's more, this pool was built with funds raised by parents of the then Waverley school.

[Pearl]

I thought when they opened the gym to the public that the pool was set to follow 2/3 years later????

[snoozequeen1]

Pearl Wrote:

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> I thought when they opened the gym to the public

> that the pool was set to follow 2/3 years

> later????

I think you are right there, that's certainly what I remember being told, was looking forward to it. When nothing happened a couple of locals contacted them, after we heard about a scheme elsewhere, to ask if they would let us use it at weekends if we formed a proper club and all that. They ruled it out completely on the grounds that insurance and safety considerations would make it impossible.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Academy's are privately owned (sold to businessmen on the cheap) and there isn't a lot politicians can do to stop a money grabbing @rsewipe from closing down costly bits.

[lilolil]

Actually...The money for the swimming pool was raised by the parents and pupils of the old Honor Oak school. The pool was there long before it became Waverley. I remember because I was one of those un/fortunate pupils who only ever went in the pool about 3 times the whole time I was there (5 years)!!!!

Not only that, we had various fundraising events to raise money for the roof to be put on.....

WHAT A WASTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[east-of-the-Rye]

I had a response from the Planning Department to my objection to the swimming pool being demolished. The officers are recommending approval of the whole proposal (I think - there were quite a few pages!) although the decision is made at a Planning Committee on 15/4/08, 7pm Southwark Town Hall. One of the parties consulted was Sport England who said "... the existing swimming pool is an old building with poor insulation and lacking changing rooms. It has not been used for a number of years. Although the loss of a sports facility is regrettable, this pool is in poor condition and the school's needs for swimming are met by Dulwich swimming pool"

So that's alright then.

Actually, I think this is a wider problem that just East Dulwich - apparently, academies can get money for rebuilding but not swimming pools, and Stockwell Park School is in the news due to plans to rebuild, but without the exisitng pool.

[Sandperson]

Personally I think this school must be some sort of joke. If they are going to run a school as a 'sports academy' why aren't they doing anything to stop the girls getting on the bus for one stop (whilst clutching a bacon butty and a can of coke from the local cafe (oh and don't forget the packet of crisps for afters in your blazer pocket))? All I see on Cheltenham Rd is girls eating junk and screaming. How is taking away the pool going to help a sports academy?

[Townleygreen]

There are of course two good local pools at JAGs and Alleyn's....

[bon3yard]

Its going to kill me when Fusions pool closes down for refurb as I like nothing better than a swim before work in the morning, and at only ?17 a month its a bargain too. Whats are the prices like at the other 2?

[snoozequeen1]

Townleygreen Wrote:

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> There are of course two good local pools at JAGs

> and Alleyn's....

More satire then.

[bon3yard]

Yes, that was very funny.