Petition D-day

Green MSP for Lothian, Alison Johnstone, will support Splashback! campaigners tomorrow, Thursday 2 February, as they hand in the petition of over 6,200 signatures to the City of Edinburgh Council. 

The petition, which calls for the Council to “investigate all possible avenues for retaining the amenity and keeping the pool open for the Edinburgh public for the future”, demonstrates overwhelming public support for the campaign to save Leith Waterworld. Over 5,000 signatures were added in person outside Leith Waterworld before it closed on 8 January, with over 1,100 added online.

The pool might have closed on 8 January, but we continue to fight for its future as an amenity for Leith and the whole of Edinburgh. Though Councillors voted, on 22 December, to uphold the decision to close, we feel the demand made by the petition is still current, and ask Councillors to consider the options.

We are handing in the petition at the Full Council Meeting, where Green councillor Steve Burgess is tabling a motion to delay the sale of the Waterworld site (closing date 8 February) to allow the possibility of a community purchase.  

Splashback! supports this motion, and the possibility of having time for a credible community bid to develop. The campaign will be presenting a deputation at the Full Council Meeting saying so. There are 11 community-run swimming pools in Scotland; we believe every chance should be given to this potential outcome for the Leith Waterworld site.