Latest news with #CarlCoughlan
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Skelmersdale and Ormskirk swimming pools saved after council vote
Two publicly owned swimming pools earmarked for closure next month have been reprieved after opposition councillors won a crucial vote to block the also pressed for repairs needed to keep Park Pool in Ormskirk and Skelmersdale's Nye Bevan Pool open for the next five vote at Wednesday's full meeting of West Lancashire Council in Ormskirk was a defeat for the ruling Labour group, which had insisted it had no other option but to reluctantly shut the outcome of the vote means the local authority will now have to hold a special budget meeting to amend its spending plans. 'Ensure continued operation' The Local Democracy Reporting Service said opposition to the pool closure plans came from the Conservatives, the local Our West Lancashire party, and former Labour councillors who now sit as said strong public opposition to closing the leisure facilities, expressed in a winter consultation exercise, should be councillors have asked a senior director to report to their next full meeting with proposals for repairs to the two pools "to ensure continued operation for the coming five years".They also called for a cross-party working group to:Closely examine the income and expenditure of the leisure centresInvestigate investments to reduce operating costsMake recommendations to reduce the subsidy currently needed to run the pools Bankruptcy warning Earlier, Labour councillors Carl Coughlan, who has a leisure services remit, and Mark Anderson, responsible for finances, acknowledged the depth of public feeling over the they insisted, reluctantly, that the council had no other choice. They warned the local authority would risk having a Section 114 notice - effectively declaring itself they said, would see leisure services and other non-essential spending threatened, frozen or ended. Opposition councillors said this potential risk was being victory was applauded by members of the public who had gathered inside the council many protested outside, chanting "save our pools" and carrying placards. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer
BBC News
19-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
West Lancashire Council set to axe swimming pools over £1m costs
Two leisure centres have been earmarked for permanent closure as a council seeks ways to save in West Lancashire will be asked to vote next week to shut the Park Pool in Ormskirk and Nye Bevan in comes after a council report found that continuing to run the centres was not financially viable - even at reduced hours or by increasing membership residents previously raised concerns about the potential loss of the pools, but the authority said it would now "press ahead" with plans for new leisure facilities "funded through capital projects". The report from the director of planning, economy and wellbeing said if both swimming pools were kept open it would cost the council more than £1m next said the council needed that money to "reduce the amount of savings that we need to make next year and in the year after so that we can set a balanced budget and still maintain an acceptable level of reserves". 'No money left' Councillor Carl Coughlan, lead member for leisure, said he was "disappointed" to see the recommendation, but there was "no money left to continue subsidising the centres".He said if councillors voted in favour of the closures the authority would "press ahead with plans for new leisure facilities in West Lancashire, which can be funded through capital projects". A petition gathered more than 6,000 signatures to stop the closure of the two swimming Labour councillors become independents amid "anger" over the told a full council debate that any leisure centre closures without replacements being built would be a "betrayal of both towns".However, a "no confidence" motion by the Our West Lancashire group, which singled out Coughlan and council leader Yvonne Gagen over the row, was narrowly defeated last December. Coughlan said the council's goal was to "create modern, financially sustainable facilities" as demonstrated by the successful £3.3m refurbishment of the Burscough Wellbeing & Leisure Hub. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
