“I think that some of the other contributors comments are right, ie: that the north somerset councillors "smell a big money intake" on a "land sell" to developers. the councillors should redirect their thoughts to why they were elected to office in the first place, and to who voted them in. They were voted in to look after the interests of the people of North Somerset, not to sell-off popular assets in an expanding community like Portishead, on the pathetic excuse of saving a mere £130,000 a year of local tax-payers funds. Tax-Payers work hard to provide these funds and the Councillors duty is clear, and making "grandiose sales" of public land is not their duty, none of these Councillors were elected to "asset-strip" the community.If they carry on with this proposal, then they are not fit to represent the people of North Somerset and should resign.
ps: I have roughly worked out a costing for the (nationally funded) "naughty boys" School proposed by Northern Care, and with a staff of 13, costs of buying the property, Northern Care's head-office charges (I assume they are not a self-funded charity), I reckon the annual cost to be around £400,000 to £500,000 per year. All for six naughty boys. And I see that a Portishead Primary School is to be closed, presumably to save money ?”

“"The council is a business and the practice of providing a service subsidised by the council is a thing of the past."

So stresses North Somerset Council. This might explain the £3 million they were able to invest in an Icelandic bank. Not much in comparison to the amount of money that passes through NSC but a considerable amount when the humble Portishead pool is under threat.
This council's priority, as mentioned many times before, is to plug Weston as a thriving tourist attraction. Their devotion to making money rather than serving the people that elected them is all too transparent. It is a frustrating battle to get simple questions answered by our elected representatives on any issue of saving the pool whether it be handing it to a trust or having it remain under council ownership and management.
The speculation about hidden agendas is everyday becoming more believable.
Portishead as a town should have gotten more from the mass development that has pretty much taken over the place in the last fifteen years.
Now, as we have a shrewd business council in power it stands to reason that they would demand some perks out of all this residential development. Yet we as residents see very little. Think how much more council tax revenue has come to Portishead from The Vale, The Port Marine and The Village Quarter. It is a town in itself but we see very little in the way of facilities and amenities provided by the council. The developers have had free reign. Where do the perks go I wonder.
Rminds me of the film The Shawshank Redemption. Have you seen it? Where the highway developer hands the prison warden a box containing his wife's homemade pie and a bundle of bank notes.

The autocratic power of this council has gone far enough. The plundering of Portishead must stop.
SAVE THE POOL!”

“People's emotions are high and it is important to remain calm in order to approach this issue properly. The Deputy Leader of North Somerset Council was already aware that a businessman was prepared to look at setting up a Trust with no financial support from the council, before completion of the Review Report (I have the paperwork) but the council still chose to ignore this idea and state firmly in its recommendations that the pool should be closed and sold for re-development. This is what has happened in other areas. Despite the previous comment posted, I am not aware that the gentleman who suggested the Trust has produced a solid business plan as yet confirming full financial backing. The Trust route, however, is not the only option and there is evidence that the pool could be run efficiently by the council without the management contractor who is paid the large subsidy by the local authority. Anyone interested in this subject should read the Outline Report produced by the Friends of Portishead Open Air Pool, followed by the Review Report by NSC with the background papers and then read my report in response so that they are in possession of at least some of the facts. The Executive Members of NSC have the ultimate say and indications from two of these members already do not look positive for the pool. The important issue now is getting the flawed Review Report withdrawn so that more time is permitted for ALL options to be considered, one of which is a Trust but it is by no means the only option.”

“Well that puts a different complexion on the matter. Gives it even more reason to remain open.

Let;s hope the council do the right thing, eh?”

“Sorry everyone but the discussion seems to be missing the point. It is not going to cost the council ANYTHING to run the pool. A group of individuals have financial backers and the support of a bank (even in this time of the credit crunch). They are asking to run the pool from now on at zero cost to the council. NOTHING. Zero. They will run and maintain the facility for the public and do a better job than the council ever did. All they are asking for is for the pool to be handed over to them. If the council do not hand it over it means that they have another agenda ie to sell a facility built by taxpayers money for the people of North Somerset to balance their books ie they will be plundering and robbing the tax payer. I am sure the Council will not rob the tax payer. Now they realise someone else has come forward to run the pool I am sure they will hand it over to the trust and do the moral thing. It is unlikely they will be able to sell the pool for flats any way if English Heritage list it and English Heritage are seriously considering this”

“I think the council are thinking of their pockets. How much would they get if they sold the land to developers to build luxury flats I wonder? ...
I think the pool is a wonderful asset to Portishead. They probably did lose money this summer because of the weather, but if next year is a really hot one they will make up for their loss.
I would vote any day to keep the pool open. These old foggies in the council probably don't go swimming, that's why they think it should be closed.”

“Since when has any council facility meant to be profit making. Do parks, libraries, leisure ammenities, the W-S-M seafront etc exist for profit?

The Weston-based council are reaping hugely increasing amounts of tax from Portishead, where is it all going?

There is a well known lack of youth facilities in Portishead. The Open Air Pool attracts people of ages and is an important part of the community's health and well-being.”

“'it's going to need a hell of an increase to cover that kind of money, even if it's spread over a few years, if it's going to be an increase from a current loss.'

Maybe Jon of Bristol should look into the reality of the extremely distorted financial figures that North Somerset Council have based their decisions upon.
Questions have already been asked about the accurracy of such figures and the Portishead Leisure Centre in which the Council claim to intend pumping any profit from the sale of the Pool site into has been losing money at a much higher rate than the Open Air Pool since it was opened.
Questions should also be asked about Councillors alternative agendas and why Weston Super Mare based Councillors are so intent on spending the huge increases in Council Tax revenue from the new developments in Portishead on financing their own white elephants in Weston whilst seemingly content of running Portishead's facilities into the ground.
It now appears they will happily sit back and allow the Pool to rot in the same manner as the Tropicana was allowed to before claiming it is beyond repair and the only course of action will be to allow a private concern to develop the site, a decision that has probably already been made and having run roughshod over local people for many years they know only to well that they will ride out the opposition and get their way once more.
Hopefully supporters of the Pool will help put an end to this undemocratic method of local government that has scarred the county for far too long.”

“I could ask the same.

I think Barnaby is kind of right. You talk about an investment and increased profits, but it's going to need a hell of an increase to cover that kind of money, even if it's spead over a few years, if it's going to be an increase from a current loss.”

“Jon, why bother? Do you actually have anything useful or constructive to add to this discussion?”