Council threat to close or substantially change local swimming pool in a way which pool users do NOT want - petition.
A group of early morning swimmers will today be handing over a petition of more than one hundred signatures that they
have recently collected to keep Temple Cowley Pool open. "The council is threatening to either close the pool or
to do away with separate female and male changing rooms - we want to keep the women-only changing area and
showers," commented Jane Alexander, who has been collecting the signatures. "98% of people I have spoken to support this
petition - this is in stark contrast to the Council Leisure committee, who claim that surveys have shown that people
prefer their plans. Temple Cowley pool users do not know of anyone who has taken part in such surveys."
"The alternative to closure, a move to "village" unisex changing areas, would mean many women and their families not
being able to use the pool at all because of religious or other reasons. Many regular users of the pool come to Temple
Cowley because it has separate changing facilities for men and women, and this new arrangement will only attract
further abuse by teenagers, like that recently witnessed during the Easter period."
"This is the only 25m pool in the city," added Jane, "that has the facilities for putting on swimming galas, and the
pool's closure will severely affect any contribution Oxfordshire can make to the 2012 London Olympics."
have recently collected to keep Temple Cowley Pool open. "The council is threatening to either close the pool or
to do away with separate female and male changing rooms - we want to keep the women-only changing area and
showers," commented Jane Alexander, who has been collecting the signatures. "98% of people I have spoken to support this
petition - this is in stark contrast to the Council Leisure committee, who claim that surveys have shown that people
prefer their plans. Temple Cowley pool users do not know of anyone who has taken part in such surveys."
"The alternative to closure, a move to "village" unisex changing areas, would mean many women and their families not
being able to use the pool at all because of religious or other reasons. Many regular users of the pool come to Temple
Cowley because it has separate changing facilities for men and women, and this new arrangement will only attract
further abuse by teenagers, like that recently witnessed during the Easter period."
"This is the only 25m pool in the city," added Jane, "that has the facilities for putting on swimming galas, and the
pool's closure will severely affect any contribution Oxfordshire can make to the 2012 London Olympics."