New wave

Leith based independent film-maker and photo journalist, Jon Pullman made this short piece on the last day of Leith Waterworld...


Thanks Jon!

"Campaigners vow not to throw in the towel in fight to save Leith Waterworld"

Round up of articles following the last day of swimming.  Gold medal for best punning headline definitely goes to Ally Tibbet's article for STV!

 STV article: 

"Campaigners vow not to throw in the towel in fight to save Leith Waterworld

"Pool "chock-a-block" in last weekend of opening as one local business worries they could lose up to a quarter of their takings.

More than 700 swimmers from all over the Lothians took the chance to enjoy Leith Waterworld on the last weekend before its final closure.

As campaigners fighting to keep the pool open gathered signatures outside, many expressed sadness that the pool would have to close and said that there was no other pool like it for miles around..."

More... 

 

Edinburgh Evening News article: 

"Waterworld shut but campaigners vow to battle on

Campaigners who battled to save Leith Waterworld today vowed to continue their fight by lodging an official complaint about the way the council has handled the closure.

The protesters carried on collecting signatures on their petition yesterday and enjoyed one last swim before the doors closed on the pool at the end of the day.

But Johnny Gailey of campaign group Splashback insisted the closure would not be the end of the story. He said: “Just because the council has given up on Leith Waterworld doesn’t mean we have...”

More…

Vicky Allan piece in The Herald: 

" In Praise of ... Waterworld

Not the sweaty, over-the-top action flick starring Kevin Costner as a rugged kind of Mad Max on water in search of dry land after the polar ice caps have melted.

But rather, my local swimming pool, Leith Waterworld, which had its own quieter apocalypse when it closed its doors for the last time last weekend, as a result of a financial balancing act by Edinburgh Council, which part-paid for the Commonwealth Pool refurbishment with this closure..."

More... 

 

Last day... waving not drowning...

A brilliant last day - for all the right reasons... a lot of fun in the waves... Thanks to all the #LeithWaterworld staff... #goodfolk

Here's the Splashback! goodbye soundtrack:  "Water Wonderful World!" on @ShareMyPlaylist. Check it out here

Freeeeeeeeee Leith Waterworld!

Check the expiry date!

The last weekend of Leith Waterowrld before the Council/Edinburgh Leisure locks the doors on Sunday 8 January.  The Councillors voted against the motion put forward by Cllr Alison Johnstone on 22 December to give Leith Waterworld a stay of execution, at least until the Commie was "open to the public" (as promised by SNP Cllr Cardownie in 2007, and agreed by full Council) and to give them time to undertake and scrutinize the impact closure would have of various user groups.

Just because the Cllrs have given up on Leith Waterworld, it doesn't mean we have.  Splashback! will continue to oppose closure, and highlight the lack of due process within the Council's decision making. The closing date for the sale has been set for February 8th. 

• We will be making an formal complaint to the Council, regarding behaviour in the Chamber on 22 Dec which we believe contravenes the Councillor's Code of Conduct.
• We have submitted requests to the Council for the full operating costs of Leith Waterworld under the Freedom of Information Act.  Edinburgh Leisure  refused to release these to us.
• We have submitted further FOI requests regarding the sale of the ground lease
• We are looking into potential breaches of due process in regards to the Council's obligations under the Equalities Act 2010, and Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008
• We will continue to collect signatures, and hand our petition into the Council shortly.
• We will contnue to man the SUB outside Leith Waterworld this weekend during opening hours - please do drop by and see us!
• We'll be going for a swim tomorrow!

Lifebelt should have been thrown to swimming centre

Letter to the Evening News

Dear editor

I AM writing you with huge disappointment about the decision to close Leith Waterworld. I attended a full council meeting and watched in disbelief how political agreement overcame rational and emotional thinking.

Many councillors showed understanding of the value and uniqueness of Leith Waterworld in their replies to my e-mails yet all of them apart from the Greens voted for its closure. This is not what they were elected to do – to serve people.

Shutting down a well used amenity, a special place for whole families to be together and spend quality time together, the only suitable pool for babies, toddlers, primary school kids and disabled people, is working against people, not for them.I can’t accept that Edinburgh will trade this place for a little patch on a Royal Commonwealth pool hole. It is a quick fix leading nowhere.

There are many much smaller towns in the UK able to sustain a leisure pool, how come the capital of Scotland can not?

Leith Waterworld should be an investment in kids, their health and happiness.

Anna Mitrovic Kotúcková, Easter Road, Edinburgh

It’s sad to wave goodbye to Waterworld

Letter in the Evening News

Dear Editor

I’d like to thank Alison Johnstone and the Green Party for tabling a motion last week at the City Chambers asking the council to abide by its own 2007 decision not to close Leith Waterworld until the Royal Commonwealth Pool opens to the public, and to undertake an Equality Impact Assessment on the withdrawal of the important service provided by the Leith facility (News, December 23).

In doing so the Edinburgh Greens allowed the group campaigning to save Leith Waterworld to make their case in front of our elected representatives. I am not a Green voter, but someone who sincerely believes that allowing Waterworld to close with nary a whimper and without proper procedure being followed would be seriously remiss of councillors.

The establishment of the Splashback group to save Waterworld was certainly eleventh- hour, but since its inception has conducted an honest, focused and positive campaign. Splashback collected 5000 signatures in the first six days of petitioning outside Waterworld – equal to one a minute. For councillors to refuse even to discuss what we hold to be a travesty for the city would have reflected very badly on all those we have chosen to represent us.

Chris Askham, Dalmeny Street, Leith

Swimming against the tide

 

Following today's decision in the Council Chambers to force through the closure Leith Waterworld...

"We are very disappointed and astonished that the Council have not been able to meet their commitment to the people of Edinburgh to keep Leith Waterworld open until the Royal Commonwealth Pool is fully reopened to the public.  We are extremely concerned that the administration have not followed due process, particularly in relation to fostering equality in the city.

Cllr Brock did not want to go into details today.  Is she, or indeed the council, in possession of the full facts?  This SNP/Lib Dem administration is making decisions about service provision for children and the disabled in Leith based on innuendo and rumour.  Over the three weeks the administration have refused to engage with the campaign and provide full and fair information.  Cllr Brock has repeatedly provided different and misleading details on the costs and the lack of consultation with the community.

There was no substantive debate on the issues in the Chamber, simply ad hominem attacks on Councillors who listen to their communities.  SNP Cllr Cardownie’s statement that he would not have made his promise to the people of Edinburgh in 2007 if he knew it would be taken literally is beyond belief. 

Can any commitment he, or Cllr Brock, now makes be relied on?  This is symptomatic of the disconnect that exists between this administration and the people of Edinburgh. 

This is the not the end.  We will continue to oppose this closure until the doors are locked.  We will now enjoy Christmas with our families and will consider all our options."