Swell of opposition over closure of Bricket Wood Sports Centre (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Swell of opposition over closure of Bricket Wood Sports Centre

4:05pm Monday 23rd March 2009 in

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FURY over the agreed closure of Bricket Wood Sports Centre continues to spiral just weeks after St Albans District Council decided to terminate its lease.

The council's Cabinet voted on handing back the centre's lease to owners HSBC, at a meeting last month.

However, as previously reported in the Review, long-standing members have been angered by the proposals, which could see St Albans residents having to travel to Watford for alternative leisure facilities.

Sheila Burton, portfolio holder for sport and healthy living at the council, said visitor numbers have dropped since the opening of the new Woodside centre in Watford, a view which has been slammed by a number of people who disagree, and say Bricket Wood is “more popular than ever”.

Dennis Mead, 78, has been swimming at the Bricket Wood pool for more than 25 years. He first started as a life guard 1984 and has been active in coaching swimmers and more recently the 50 plus groups.

He said: “This is sad day for a lot of members that go there. It is going to be a great loss, not only for those who attend, but for the staff too.

“People who attend now, and who I regularly see go back years. A lot of the people I have spoke to do not know what they are going to do and where they are going to go.”

Mr Mead, of Holtsmere Close, Watford, is still fighting fit, swimming on average 60 lengths in half-an-hour during every session and told the Review is could be a problem for him to find somewhere as good as Bricket Wood.

Steve May, a BBC sports presenter who lives in Bricket Wood, and was working as a volunteer lifeguard at the pool until a month ago told the Review: “It's not just swimmers who are going to lose out – the Friday evening skating sessions are very popular with teenagers.

“There will be nowhere for them to go at all.”

Nicole Seal, 38, of Bricket Wood, who takes her children to the skating club, said: “It's very unfortunate. My children swim, skate, use the sports ground and love playing on the field. They also go to the sports centre in the school holiday. It's better than hanging around the street.”