Harris pool update

[Nero]

Tessa Jowell replied to me regarding the post on the closure of the pool at the school.

There is irony in hte fact that the school wants to use Dulwich baths once it shuts its own pool down. Laugh? I nearly choked. Nero

Details of plans for the Harris Girls' Academy site are contained in the planning application for a new teaching block here:

[planningonline.southwarksites.com]

I have also received a response from Southwark's Head of Leisure and Well-Being about their plans for alternative provision - in the context of the loss of facilities whilst the Dulwich Leisure Centre is being refurbished:

"There is little alternative provision for people who currently use Dulwich Leisure Centre - if this were not the situation then the business case for the investment we are making would be weakened, substantially. Bearing this in mind, it is inevitable that we will not be able to accommodate the needs of all users whilst the leisure centre is closed for refurbishment. It is a short-term inconvenience for a long-term gain and I hope most people realise this. We will do our best to minimise the period of closure and disruption and to provide alternatives for as many as we can but if people could easily use other facilities instead of Dulwich, they would already be doing so.

"Our first priority is to try and provide swimming for the schools and we are looking into how we can best achieve that. We will also make provision for other customers to use our other leisure centres for swimming, gyms and classes - it cannot be as convenient as using Dulwich (if that is their local centre) but we will do what we can to make it as easy and attractive as possible. Where we can provide additional venues and activities within our budget we will do so but the Council's resources are not un-limited.

"Harris Academy does not have a pool that [can be used]. They, themselves, wish to use Dulwich when it is refurbished and have been speaking to me about this.

"We registered our interest in a temporary pool with the ASA as soon as the announcement was made - in Summer of 2007. Indeed we were the first authority in London to do so. We are exploring the options for such a pool but there are issues of venue and cost which we are trying to resolve.

"We are speaking to Alleyns and JAGS about use of their facilities.

"We are also talking to other schools which may have facilities that we could use .

"We are in the process of finalising the build programme. When that is completed we will be in a better position to finalise alternative provision and to inform customers of our plans."

[bon3yard]

A year and a half seems like a hell of a long time to go without my morning swim...I shall miss it terribly.