THE annual general meeting of Settle Area Swimming Pool took place on Thursday, November 18 via Zoom. Accordingly anyone unable to access that platform was excluded. Why a conventional public meeting was not chosen is difficult to understand. However, Zoom it was and I joined the meeting.

I should mention that until my recent resignation I was a trustee, hence a member of the pool management committee.

From informal discussions with other trustees I did think a public meeting was on the cards earlier in the year before the building contract was agreed, but that idea came to nought.

Apart from standard AGM matters the subject that attracted most interest was the refurbishment project that is currently underway. There is a view (that I share) that the scheme is in excess of that required as it offers additional space for non-swim usage. Space that is probably already available in town.

There have been press and publicity releases from the pool trustees with promotional information regarding the work indicating build costs of circa £850,000.

However, an estimate of proposed borrowing did not appear in the public domain, until at the AGM it was disclosed that borrowing in excess of £300,000 was involved.

The pool is a community asset and surely there could have been far more involvement from the wider community in the proposal. There has been brilliant fundraising in the area for many years and an attractive scheme could have been secured from those funds without borrowing. Obviously building work is now progressing. I hope it moves forward smoothly and wish the pool success.

However, I feel that there could (and should) have been more involvement from the people of the Settle area. After all, it is their pool.

Trevor Graveson

Settle

Editor: The pool management committee has been asked if it wished to comment