Wadhurst Indoor Swimming Pool

There has been publicity recently for the proposal for the development of an indoor swimming pool at Uplands. Governors agree that such a development would be of real benefit to the village, and to local schools, including both curricular and extra-curricular activities at Uplands. The initial campaign will need to secure capital funding. No-one pretends that this will be easy but it is the easiest hurdle to overcome. Very careful thought also needs to be given to the subsequent running costs, since the Wealden experience of its indoor pools showed that they required very significant subsidies and Uplands cannot compromise other College budgets. It will therefore be crucial that the steering group investigates how such a scheme would be developed and managed. A clear Business Plan that would substantiate its long-term future will be fundamental. There are, of course, other critical related issues, not least appropriate parking facilities, which will need to be addressed. For the project to succeed, the Wadhurst Partnership, the Wadhurst Swimming Club, and the Parish Council will all need to be involved. It seems to us that an appropriate way forward would be through the Wadhurst Partnership. Its current Healthcheck will help to establish the village's priorities. If an indoor pool is the overwhelming interest we would, of course, be party to a group trying to take the project forward. We are, however, very anxious that expectations should not be raised too high at this stage, since we do have reservations over future running costs and therefore long-term viability.

John Gordon, Chairman of Governors Uplands Community College