Conservatives have been fighting to bring a swimming pool back to Pitsea since 2018
When in office 2018/19, Basildon Conservatives developed plans for a swim-gym concept to be built in Eversley. Unfortunately, as soon as Labour and their Independent friends took control of Basildon Council in May 2019, they stopped the Pitsea swimming pool project. Initially they pretended that there had never been any plan. They then claimed that the £2.5 million the Conservatives had allocated to it would 'not even cover the water to fill up the pool'. Finally, they said that there was nowhere to put it.
Ultimately, under pressure from local Pitsea councillors, Luke Mackenzie and Craig Rimmer, by the Autumn the new Labour-led administration was forced to admit that they had found the original plan, location and budget that had been voted on in February 2019. But that did not stop Labour from yet again trying to kick the pool project into the long grass by pleading poverty, blaming Covid-19 for the Council's poor finances, and claiming that Pitsea, not Basildon, should pay. There is, of course, all the money in the world to spend on Labour's pet projects in Basildon Town Centre but not for Pitsea.
Once again, with sustained pressure from local Conservative councillors, the Administration has been forced to cave in to local pressure and the pool project is now back on track.
"Since Labour got in, it has been like swimming through custard to get the pool built." ~ Cllr Craig Rimmer
At last night's meeting of the Neighbourhoods and Public Spaces Committee, Councillor Rimmer obtained a commitment from the Council that the swimming pool will have spades in the ground by September 2021 and be open by January 2022 in time for people to swim off their Christmas dinners! The Council have been forced to put out a craven press release, restating their commitment to the pool, albeit with their arms half way up their backs.
Councillor Rimmer, Conservative councillor for Pitsea South-East, said: “All through our time as councillors, I and my colleague Luke Mackenzie have been campaigning for the swimming pool to be built. Since Labour got in, it has been like swimming through custard to get the pool built. I am happy that we have secured a commitment to the pool being open by January 2022 and we will keep the pressure up until this promise is met.”