THE way the island’s three regional swimming pools are run is set to be reviewed.
Leisure Minister Tim Crookall MHK, replying to a House of Keys question from Leonard Singer (Ramsey), confirmed that an option to incorporate Castletown, Ramsey and Peel baths into his department would be considered as part of a review of the scope and structure of government.
Mr Crookall explained the three regional pools were each operated by boards overseen by the Department of Community Culture and Leisure with funding provided both by ratepayers and by a government subsidy of about £1.5 million.
He said: ‘While the current system is good in terms of maximising local input into the pool operations, it means that a share of the budget is provided by the department which has no management role. The subsidy provided by the taxpayer is about £1.5 million – at least 90 per cent of each pool’s costs.’
Mr Crookall said his department was working to encourage joint working over funding, proper planned preventative maintenance schedules, new ways of working and health and safety.
He said there were legislative provisions in place that would enable the centralisation of the pools but these had never been brought into force. There are also provisions that would enable new joint boards to be put in place with departmental representation, he added.
‘The regional pools represent about 8.8 per cent of my department’s net budget. My department’s budget, as everybody else’s, is under pressure and it is my duty to the taxpayer to consider the most cost-effective way of managing this responsibility,’ the Minister told MHKs.
Mr Crookall said a report on the Scope and Structure of government was imminent and once this was made public, he would review the current arrangements for the regional pools, considering ‘all options’ in full consultation with the boards.
Mr Singer suggested that by incorporating the island’s swimming pools together into the DCCL, there would then ‘at least’ be offered a career structure, common terms of employment, equal standards and equalisation of rates against the local authorities.