Alleyne’s High School issued a press release today over the borough council’s proposed plans for Westbridge Park. In the release, the school states that a swimming pool as part of any new leisure centre at Westbridge would see the school’s pool – “a major loss not only for the students of Alleyne’s High School but also the first and middle schools of Stone and the surrounding areas”.
Here’s the press release in full:
The Governing Body and Senior Leadership Team of Alleyne’s High School would like to respond to the information which has been received by the community of Stone and surrounding areas in relation to the proposed leisure development at Westbridge Park.
Alleyne’s High School has made an application for academy conversion with effect from September 2013, but this has not yet been finalised at this stage. Conversion to become an academy would provide the school with many freedoms which would benefit the school, particularly from a funding viewpoint. However this, in no way, would affect the current joint use arrangement which exists between the school and Stafford Borough Council for the use of the sports facilities.
The proposed development at Westbridge Park includes the addition of a six lane, 25m swimming pool, which obviously would shift the funding currently received from Stafford Borough Council from Alleyne’s Sports Centre to Westbridge Park. Not only would this create a funding shortfall for the school, but would present the situation where two swimming pools would be in existence within the town of Stone. Stafford Borough Council have expressed an interest in continuing to provide leisure facilities from Alleyne’s Sports Centre for all other facilities except swimming. Should this situation arise and the development take place at Westbridge Park, it is likely that the pool at Alleyne’s Sports Centre will close, thus creating a major loss not only for the students of Alleyne’s High School but also the first and middle schools of Stone and the surrounding areas.
Alleyne’s Sports Centre is part of Alleyne’s High School and is currently owned by Staffordshire County Council. A joint use agreement is in place between the school and Stafford Borough Council which allows the shared use of the leisure facilities for the school and the community. This agreement has been in place since 1970, is managed by the school and ensures a proportionate sharing of capital and revenue costs to provide a viable and maintained leisure facility.
Facilities available at Alleyne’s Sports Centre include the swimming pool, astro turf pitch, football pitches, squash courts, sports hall, changing rooms and coach education room. Refurbishments took place in 2005 to the main building and the pool was relined in 2009. A pool cover was installed in 2011 as part of an efficiency upgrade.
As well as the school and the local community, the pool is utilised by the local first and middle schools for swimming lessons through the County Swimming Service.
Alleyne’s High School will continue to provide the best possible facilities for its students and will ensure that the highest quality of Physical Education will still be provided.
The final public consultation event takes place at Alleyne’s High School on Saturday 2nd March between 10.30am and 2.30pm. The online consultation can be found HERE
17 comments
Richard Evans
Regarding Alleynes. It is currently running at a loss whilst the gym facilities at westbridge is making a small profit but not enough to cover the loss at Alleynes.
The last lot of figs I’ve looked at shows that only 75 people on avg use the pool each day. The occupancy rates for the other facilities are as follows squash courts @55% football pitch @53% and the sports hall @90%.
This current year the budget shows for the following repairs +70% on last year whilst heating is also +27%.
By moving the pool from Alleynes there is then the potential to turn the losses into small profit.
Regarding knocking it down relocating all facilities on Alleynes that wiukd mean doubling the amount of traffic on narrow lanes and also having to deal with reduced access due to being a school site.
Not only that the borough council do not own the land there so it would be unwise building on land it didn’t own
Tony Dennis
As the swimming pool seems to have taken centre stage, can I just confirm what the total package will be. I understand that the squash courts, sports hall and football pitch will remain. Who will run them and put staff in to take money and clean? I am sure I read that the borough council by having everything on one site would be able to save money. At Westbridge we would have the swimming pool and studios, are they going to be big enough to play Badminton? Before Westbridge was changed it was possible to play 5 a side football and long mat indoor bowling. I take it we are going to loose the tennis courts. The debate will go on about if it should happen, but lets just take a step back and look at what we will get and what we might want if this proposed developement should go ahead.
craig
why not knock Alleynes down and build new leisure facilities there still close to the schools and scrap the westbridge development and keep stones green heart going,how about all that money spent a few years ago on that floodlit football pitch that will go down the swanny if they close Alleynes pool.money wasted in my eyes if that happens.
the trouble with stone now is that too many people who live in it do not come originally from the town and are open to any half soaked idea the sbc will throw at them and they lap it up,stone is just about to lose the last piece in the jigsaw puzzle with the loss of westbridge park area to development ,the town is getting like stafford in its size.planning keep passing all these housing developments and such with ease and nothings opposed,and if its is they do it anyway,back handers and the council i think!
Carly Louise
Hi Craig, if stone did not have residents from ‘out of town’ and had remained ‘locals’ only it would not be the town it is now. My neighbour is 69 and has lived here 40 years, does she get a vote? I’ve lived here 10 years, am I allowed? In this day and age, local or not, if you bring your family and money to a town you deserve to have a say. The town is full of people who have moved here from elsewhere. So like it or not, that’s how it is. I have always felt welcomed here, so hopefully I think it’s safe to say there aren’t many people here who share your view!!
Ben
Craig, where do you propose the money will come from to demolish the existing swimming pool and build a new one? The swimming pool in Stafford cost 15 million pounds and that did not include any demolition costs, admittedly the pool proposed for Stone is much smaller, but you will still need significantly more money than the 3 million pounds being earmarked for a new leisure and pool for Stone.
Furthermore the pool is owned by the county council and pool, so any decisions on the future on the pool has to be made by them not the borough council.
Why do you believe the SBC proposal for WBP is half soaked?? Stone needs a new supermarket and an improvement to the leisure provision so it is completely reasonable for the SBC to propose one funds the other. Your final comment regarding Stafford and housing is a strange one. In the recent housing allocation plan by the SBC, Stafford has been earmarked for 75% of the new housing, whereas the figure for Stone is 8% which is a tiny amount considering it is the second biggest town in the borough. Back handers???? Section 106’s are commonly used by all councils to fund improvements and meet the needs of the community and will undoubtedly become even more wider used due to council budget cuts.
Andy Osgathorpe
A couple of things really. I don’t believe what I am being told and that puts a very different perspective on things. It would appear you do beileive what you are being told. Fair enough, I except that.
Don’t build a supermarket on the park- Build it anywhere else if you must and accept the implication of that. I do and other probably don’t . To build a supermarket on a park is simply not worth the cost at any price. As for me not valuing sport – You really have to be on a different planet I afraid. Never mind.
Carly Louise
I made this comment before about the state of Alleynes pool so thought I would add it to the discussion here – I would like to put my 2 pence in. I took my baby girl to swimming lessons in alleynes last year and here was my experience 1. It was freezing, I was advised by the midwife to avoid it until my baby was older as water has to be a certain temperature, so we couldn’t swim as early as we wanted to without going to Stafford. 2. there is ONE baby changing facility in the whole changing room, i had to queue after swimming to get changed, which was frankly ridiculous. 3. the viewing windows were a bit unnerving, now and again there would just be random people watching a pool full of children- there was no one regulating this. 4. the changing rooms on the whole were not clean and no one was checking them in between sessions – evident by the dirty nappy left from the class before. 5. the toys were worn out and old 6. the space we had to play was very small due to the fact that the rest of the pool was too deep 7. The showers were too hot so I had to wash my little girl in the sink in the toilet, 8. you can’t hold a baby and load up the lockers because you need two hands to hold it open and load up,9. there is no where to leave the prams so you have to take them in to the changing rooms which drags mud all through in the winter months 10. the other changing cubicles were far too small to take small children in to (evident from the other mums there). ….However the staff were lovely and clearly wanted to do the best with what they had and it was nice that the car park was free. We stuck with the lessons we paid for but haven’t been back and don’t intend to. Instead we have to get in the car and trek to Stafford. I would like better facilities in Stone please. I can not see how this pool can provide for the whole community. I would be interested in how many members of the public acually use it.
Andy Osgathorpe
Here one I posted earier as well:.. Regards pool temperature. Not a major problem, but if you going to stand around in it (and I include any main swimming pool in this statement) as for example which will occur when teaching small children to swim you will get cold. It’s the physics of water and physiology of humans. I coach Scuba regularly and wear 3mm mm shortie to keep me warm and I bet the guys in BSAC at Stafford do as well. Alleynes was built as a school pool 40 years ago. It is fit for purpose it was designed to do but probably not efficient these days. Incidentally, a new pool on westbridge is 6 lane only (no small teaching pool ) You will get cold in that one as well. If you’re uncomfortable about the water temperature, wear a shortie it’s a simple as that.
Andy Osgathorpe
My final contribution at the risk of getting another flaming. I don’t think my point is really understood. I’m not against new leisure facilities; I use enough of them. But I am against the changing the usage of Westbridge Park to “mixed” because this would open up the whole park for development at some future date. It starts with a supermarket or food store and then who knows what will be added in years to come and I simply don’t want that. It’s not worth it in my opinion. If you think it is worth it then fine. It’s all about personal values at the end of the day.
With regards to pool temperatures I have made my point- A small training pool is really your best option for babies and you might be better campaigning for any leisure facilities in Stone to have one. I certainly would.
With regards to the inefficiencies of Alleynes Pool; Well … it probably is, but it does make money despite your suggestions and if you compare both Stafford and Alleynes Centres you will probably find that expenditure was greater than income? (Have a look!) Incidentally, the high street’s quite old and probably inefficient as well. We could pull that down as well…. and build …a supermarket 🙂 Good luck with your campaign guys.
Carly Louise
The pool is too cold for BABIES. I don’t care if I get cold and would wear a wet suit gladly, I even put my daughter in one, but it is too cold for BABIES full stop. There may not be a small pool in the new leisure centre but if the swimming association guidelines are followed the pool should be kept well about the temps registering at Alleynes. As per gemmas point about why should some groups miss out when all could be accommodated. Ensuring the pool is adaptable to as many groups as possible will be something I plug for ifI am lucky enough to be part of the resident liaison groups which will be set up to consult the council on the facilities. I do some similar work with the police and the council already so I have confidence that the positive results I have seen from that will continue.
Jack Taylor
Actually Chris, Alleynes is completely subsidisable and maintainable and the council dont mind carrying on paying money for it! It is more the fact the council say it would be better to have a new leisure centre! We do NOT actually NEED one!
gemma
Jack, read andys comments above which states that the alleynes is not suitable for toddlers or disabled people. Dont these people deserve a pool or are you happy for these people to travel to staffford. i want my bc supporting a pool that excludes toddlers and disabled people, as such in favour of their funds being diverted to a pool that everyone can use. i personally believe meeting the needs of everyone in society is more important than a small loss in greenspace. Dont you? Or do you think disabled people don’t deserve a pool in Stone?
Andy Osgathorpe
Not a good example Chris and not even a logical argument. Don Valley is closing because it’s not making money at all because it’s just not attracting events despite numerous efforts . Don Valley was built as a Cinderella project and has been used for all sorts of events since, but it had no planned legacy. Probably a poor Council decision I’m afraid. They weren’t putting bums on seats. Few athletics meets (other than Olympics and World Games) ever do. That’s why they are looking at the legacy of the Olympic Stadium in a city the size of London –Good decision.
Anyway, Alleynes is used all the time by Stone school children and community, I can’t see the comparison. Are you saying we should charge children and people more to swim to enable the BC to reduce the subsidiary they are paying Alleynes or pull it down because its inefficient because if the BC don’t carry on paying the subsidy under the joint user agreement, and why should they,becasue its elapsed anyway so I understand, they will save money anyway (to pay for Westbridge running costs) and the added financial burden on the school could result in any number of things e.g cuts in other curriculum areas, reduction in numbers attending swimming (because of travel costs and/or time in going elsewhere. Or the school could be forced to close the pool to save money. Could this happen this year? Ask Leisure Services. I’m sure they will respond, it’s up to the school? –So, SBC stop the subsidy because they have no joint user agreement anymore or SBC are not legally obliged to provide leisure facilities for the people (we had that one as well) and that could force a closure by the school and SBC then blame the school. (SBC saying, we’ve done nothing wrong…). After the fiasco of Westbridge Park consultation who knows what they will do? Make no mistake Chris, the school will respond and it will be in the best interest of its youngsters. It always has done and always will do. A letter like this shows the school is “concerned” and I’m sorry to see this.
Andy Osgathorpe
Facilities like these (and I’m on about all sports facilities not just a pool) should be built on school sites for more efficient and ease of use. The fact is that convenient of these facilities would reduce transport costs and save curriculum time in transporting the children to a pool placed away from the main high school. There are also some big questions regarding health and safety and a duty of care which teachers have in schools which may not in other establishments maintained by other professions. It is the way the profession is organised and what parents expect. As a result, school based facilities would be preferred to non-school based ones.
With regards to the Alleynes pool being out of date, well it probably is out of date, but it is fit for the purpose for which it was built. i.e. to coach swimming to school children of secondary school age and it does this very well. Regrettably, it wasn’t designed for toddlers in wheelchairs, mothers with babies or the disabled. As a result the pool wasn’t built with steps or disabled access or other facilities for other than its intended target audience. The fact that SBC try to accommodate these now is a tribute to how times changed.
There not only needs to be a new build (before it becomes a listed building?) for the whole complex but much more importantly, a new thinking about the way forward for the County Council (owners), School user groups (controlled by Alleynes) and historically, the support that Stafford Borough Council have provided over the past 40 years in the joint user agreement. I share Alleynes fears about what the future will hold if funding is diverted from Alleynes Sports Centre to run a new pool at Westbridge.
Richard Evans
Its hardly a viable site if its losing money now is it. how much money of the schools is used to fund the pool. As a county we are continuously told we are amongst the least funded pupils per head in the country. These funds would be better off spent in the classrooms at a very important stage in there educational needs
David
In summary, Alleyne’s don’t want to lose their subsidised pool, nice & handy on their doorstep. That’s understandable; as a parent with children who have been to Alleynes, and others who are soon to, I hope they don’t lose it, and I would do the same in their situation.
However, I must take issue with some of the points raised. This ‘fantastic facility’ is certainly in a better state than it has been, but it is nevertheless outdated and basic. The changing rooms are in a shocking state, even after the recent ‘refurbishment’ (lick of paint). The roof seems to need almost continual repair, and the heating is inefficient. I think the council has a point in thinking that a new build is preferable to continuing to put sticking plaster on the existing one, but I would be interested to read the ‘detailed … survey’ that concludes otherwise. I imagine that the issue of timetabling school lessons at Stafford is due to there being rather more schools there (and are you seriously suggesting that Stafford teachers are failing in their duty of care by taking thair pupils to the Leisure Centre?); in any case, I know of some schools in the Stone Pyramid that don’t take pupils for swimming lessons due to the cost of transport and the number that have private lessons anyway – as a parent of four children who have gone through Stone schools I am aware (as I am sure you are) that the ‘opportunity for sustained lessons to Y10’ is rarely taken up.
The question of where this new facility should be located is another issue, but unfortunately I suspect that demolishing the Alleynes pool and starting again in the same place is not a viable option. The Academy conversion will mean that the school pays for its own facilities; of course it wants to keep a joint-use agreement as it makes a pool on-site a financial possibility – and it’s a great selling point for the school in the market place in which it will find itself. I wish Alleynes the best of luck with this, but wishes aren’t horses and I think they’re on a loser here.
Stephen Powell
As the Head of PE at Alleyne’s High School and a resident of Stone I have a vested double interest in opposing the proposed development of Westbridge Park. Any parent of a child attending a school in Stone at present can be guaranteed that under the present system there is the opportunity for regular sustained swimming lessons until the age of 15 (year 10). In conjunction with the County Council Schools Swimming Service we develop a yearly programme that means the Alleyne’s pool is available to all schools in the Stone pyramid to ensure that their pupils learn an important lifeskill – vital in a town with both a river and canal – as well as forging positive attitudes towards physical activity and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. If the Alleyne’s pool is forced to close as the school is no longer able to make it financially viable then this programme is under threat. SBC are saying that schools will still be able to use Westbridge for swimming lessons but the fact is that it will only be at the times that they allow which are likely to be much restricted compared to the current availability. It is also very likely that in following the model that exists at Stafford Leisure Centre school children will be taught to swim whilst public use of the pool is going on – lanes will be roped off to allow this dual use. I have grave concerns over the issue of pupil safeguarding if this was to be the case both as a parent of children who would have to go swimming in this way and also as a department leader responsible for sending pupils from Alleyne’s to Westbridge. All pupils taught at Alleyne’s swimming pool during school hours are taught safely as it is a closed site. We have a fantastic facility at Alleyne’s that has been well looked after by the school and SBC. It is now in it’s best condition for many years and is capable of serving the local community of all ages for many years to come. SBC despite providing no actual hard evidence would have the residents of Stone and the local area believe that the pool is not fit for purpose and not worth further expenditure, which a thorough and detailed County Council survey proves is untrue. I firmly believe that the building of a new pool at Westbridge is misguided and potentially damages an educational programme that the children of Stone gain great benefit from.
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