A NEW Mills woman has slammed the decision to transfer the management of the town's pool– paid for by local residents – over to a private company.
In September, High Peak Borough Council chose D C Leisure Management to operate their four leisure centres, New Mills Leisure Centre, Glossop Pool, Glossop Leisure Centre and Buxton swimming pool.
Rose Fawcett is a regular user of the swimming poo
l in New Mills, which was paid for by local residents in the 1970s, and is angry that local people were not consulted over the changes.
She said: "Everybody is up in arms about it. People at New Mills raised the money (for the pool). New Mills people are charged for it with the council tax as well and it just seems now that some company is coming along and taking it over.
"It just doesn't seem right. New Mills people should have been consulted.
"I feel quite angry that we haven't been told about it."
She also said that she had heard the cost of swimming was set to increase from £2.80 to £4.50 but the borough council have denied this.
A Council spokesperson said: "We have selected D.C. Leisure Management to operate our four leisure facilities.
"High Peak Borough Council will still own all four leisure centres and pools, and there will be no change in opening times or charging policy.
"The decision was made in order to provide local people with a greatly improved leisure service with new activities, increased staffing and better customer service – one that will provide good value for money.
"An important part of this new partnership will mean that we will be able to meet the cost of the planned maintenance at the four leisure sites over the next ten years and in addition invest over £¾ million in improving the centres."
Rose added: "If they are investing £¾ of a million where is that money going to come from.
"The price must be going up if they are going to put some money into it."
The full article contains 345 words and appears in Buxton Advertiser newspaper.
