Editor

With the permitting of some fitness training activities at leisure centres/pools across our county is it not about time that the reuse of the unused, available and valuable community asset Plascrug swimming pool was addressed by the council.

The pool was closed in March for all the right reasons and clearly the restrictions were imposed for compliance with the pandemic which will not, for an unknown time, return to the pre-March facility arrangements. However, the pool was built completely separate to the leisure centre (some 20 years earlier) and could be used for over-60s, school children’s free swimming, swimming clubs and others, even it was just until the ‘field hospital’ may be required.

Other pools in the county are opening their facilities and this may be under slightly different circumstances, mainly due to the field hospital at Plascrug. However, it is the fuller use of the facility opportunities that could be introduced at Plascrug that I think that the council should consider.

We are fortunate to live by the coast and it is vital for all children to learn to swim and be taught to do so in a safe and controlled environment and before they are old enough to play with their peers on the beach and in the sea.

The over-60s are also in need of exercise that they can control the pace of and start and finish duration periods selected to suit their needs.

My own experiences of need for this type of exercising started in 2013 when at the age of 62 I had a mini-stroke (TIA). Six months after the stroke I felt that I needed to try to rebuild my stamina and strength and halt the growing feelings of uselessness. It only took a period of four months of regular swimming for me to return close to my pre-stroke fitness. Then in June last year I had a replacement hip operation and in October I was told by the physio that I could start swimming again.

When I began my swimming, after both occasions, I was able to gradually exercise my replacement hip comfortably in the water.

This ability to improve my health and wellbeing was due to my access to the pool and for which I am extremely grateful.

The council are constantly improving the footpaths and cycling facilities, near where I live, in Penrhyncoch, Bow Street and Llandre. These facilities are excellent for fitter younger people who can exercise by running and cycling freely. The disadvantage for us older lot is that if we were to do this sort of exercise and find that we have spent all our energy away from home we could end up in difficulty.

Finally, in view of the fact that the swimming pool was built prior to the gym, fitness and other leisure facilities, it would appear that it is possible to reopen the original access to the pool area keeping a suitable social distancing between those using the field hospital facilities, the separate gym, fitness and other leisure facilities.

This arrangement could and should be carried out before the staff - who have always provided professional, caring and welcoming services - are transferred to other positions leaving the centre with insufficient staffing levels to reopen the facilities, when it is able and safe to do so.

These facilities should not be denied to the public and previous supporters of the centre (by attendance fees and from the council tax funding contributions) for what could be a further 12 to 18-plus months. Also the cost per head for reopening these or a greater part the existing facilities, per-user, being a great deal smaller than what the county council is currently spending per head for the users of the new cycle paths. This should be taken into consideration irrespective of where funding is obtained from for the cycling and jogging/ running facility.

Phil Turner-Wright Bryndderwen Farm Dol-y-Bont

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