Leith Water World

[Estelle1]

Hi,
I'm new on this site and have an 11 month old baby.
I was driven to joining Mumsnet so I could make you all aware of what has been proposed with regard to Leith Water World. It may not come as a shock to some of you - I was made aware of it a couple of weeks ago by hear-say - that the pool is closing for good on the 8th January.
There has been no consultation and members of the public are only being made aware of it in the pool today.
There are rumours that Water Worlds neighbours, Tescos, are trying to continue their creeping world domination by giving the council a back hander for the site.
Apparently there is a short fall in the cost of refurbishing the Commonwealth pool, so in effect they will be robbing Peter to pay Paul.
The council loses approximately £300 000 per year from Water World, but how many of their smaller Victorian pools are making losses? I am amazed that in the capital city of Scotland a childrens leisure pool is not sustainable? It should be something the city is proud of, a tourist attraction - if the funding was there for the up keep.
If/when the pool closes, the nearest pools with similar facilities will be Perth and Dunbar. DUNBAR?!?!?! If a small town like Dunbar can sustain a leisure pool why can't Edinburgh? With childhood obesity on the up surely the council should be encouraging kids to go swimming, not preventing them.
I have written to my local councillors and MSPs already, to air my greavances about the sneaky way in which our children's facilities are being taken from them. I am asking you to do the same.
Thank you for reading,

Estelle Richardson

I knew it was earmarked for closure but I didn't know it was that soon . My DD is going to be DEVASTATED. It is her favourite place in the world.

They said Leith Waterworld would close when the commonwealth reopened in March 2012 when they closed the commonwealth for the upgrade. To be honest... LW has been around since I was a child but has been a drain financially since back then as it used to be open 7 days a week as my youth group used to go on a Tuesday night. Council cutbacks are meaning the place cannot keep being repaired. And the place is a state compared to the fancy place it was when I was a child and loved going there.

I'm worried about the staff and will they have a job or be made redundant?

That's ridiculous! I'm disabled and I have a hard enough time finding places I can reasonably access. "Disabled access" and practical disabled access are two entirely different things. Practical access starts with adequate on-site car parking, for example, a disabled changing room which does not consist merely of a slightly larger room but in fact has something useful inside it like a bench to lie down on. How exactly do they think someone who cannot stand up is going to put on a pair of trousers in a changing cubicle???? But more than anything else I need warm water. I'm sure those with young babies appreciate this too, and it's absolutely essential for many disabled people because cold water can bring on painful spasms, and those with impaired circulation and feeling can get hypothermia in very marginal conditions. Where is the supposed protection for disabled people when this kind of things happens? "We have a ramp therefore it's fine" is the inevitable answer. A ramp into water I can't use is as useful as a spiral staircase into a disabled toilet. Ridiculous.

I've had to stop swimming in Edinburgh Leisure pools as it affects my disability too. Hydrotherapy at the western has been a godsend but there's nowhere as warm as there or LW. Someone told me leisure pools such as LW are warmer while the lane type pools (every other pool in Edinburgh) are meant to be cooler. I argued with David Lloyd who claimed their pool was 37 degrees. There was NO WAY it was 37 degree's.

There is a Save Leith Waterworld facebook page, please visit and 'like' to add your support. There seems to be a growing campaign, it will need a committed bunch to fight to keep it open but Edinburgh Council seriously owe Leith after the tram shambles - they can start the payback by keeping this pool open, especially in the interim as they don't have a buyer. Tesco have (apparently) confirmed they have no intentions of purchasing the land. Families of Leith get together and fight this one.

Hi guys! Delighted this has been flagged up on here already. Like you all, I have a toddler that absolutely adores Waterworld and would be devastated to see it close, as would all your little 'uns. I started an online petition late last night and it's already gaining legs, however I need all the signatures possible to show just how missed this service would be. Here's the link below, it will literally take two minutes of your time to sign! There are also 'twitter' and Facebook 'like' buttons at the bottom on the page - clicking these will quickly get the word out to all you know who you think may also be opposed to the closure. Let's try and keep LWW open and our children splashy!

www.change.org/petitions/the-city-of-edinburgh-council-prevent-the-closure-of-leith-waterworld

Thanks in advance! Caroline

Oh that's a real shame :(

Nooooooo!! will sign petitions and anything going! We love LW so much

Born and Bread Leither here!
This isn't new information, like Groovee said it was always the case that Waterworld would close when the refurbished Commonwealth Pool opened. I also agree that compared to when it first opened, LW is in dire need of an upgrade.
I think the facilities at the new "commie" pool would save a trip to Dunbar, or try the one at the WHEC, I've always found it pleasantly warm there.

Not connected with LW closing, but when it first opened my brother and his friends where "touched" by a man in the pool. The police where duly called and my brother was brought home in a police car. I was playing in the street at the time and just about broke the land speed record running into the house to tell my Mum my brother was in the back of a police car. I couldn't wait to witness my Mum going bananas at said brother for the embarrasment and shame he had brought on the family, by being in trouble with "law".

Anyhow, I was bitterly disapointed to find out in fact he had done nothing wrong . Also my brother seemed to think anything was wrong either, when asked what
happened he replied " I thought the man just kept on bumping into whilst swimming past"

The guy pleaded guilty, on several charges apparently, so thankfully my wee bro didn't have to go to court.

Also makes me think how times have changed, no worries on my parents part in letting my, probably 8 or 9 year old brother go swimming on his own.

Well done for setting up the petition - just signed it. I emailed Councilor Ewan Aitken regarding the closure. He says he is questioning it.

Hi am aware that this campaign is still continuing, saw on their blog they've been visiting other pools. Am curious to know what other folk who used this pool have doing as an alternative? Is it missed as much as campaigners think?

There is no real alternative, just other swimming pools. Nowhere else that I know of locally has the water slides, tyre runs wave machine, river run, etc. We miss it...

I miss it too - both my kids LOVED it. Nearest other pool is leith Victoria - which is closed on Friday afternoons I discovered (after hauling kids down there ). Well done Edinburgh leisure....

Its Dunbar or Coatbridge for flumes and fun - not quite so convenient!

Mariner Pool in Falkirk is sometimes for us or Perth Leisure Pool. We rarely used LWW to be honest as it was always too busy

Don't see how the Commie can be seen as a substitute for LWW - the waves, the flumes, the interesting shape..
I've heard there's a leisure pool in Burntisland which is probably closer than Dunbar, though I haven't been. We just don't go swimming anymore.

Groovee, isn't that interesting, LWW too busy yet they closed it because not enough trade...We go to Ainslee Pk for straight swimming, but do miss the add ons!

Unless we were there first thing in the morning, It was just too long a queue to get in. The inlaws used to take the kids. I remember LWW when it first opened as a youngster and it was fab. I was thinking the other day that if it had remained how it was and was still open week nights then it would be fab to take the brownies to.

The Commie had flumes when I was a teenager but there were quite a few injuries on them.

My inlaws used to go to Bubbles in Livingston with my 2 during the week. No idea what it's like now.

Are any of the other Edinburgh pools as warm as LWW was. I've had hyddrotherapy but haven't been able to carry it on as none of the EL pools are 37 degrees or above.

The teaching pool at the new Commie is warmer. The floor is moveable so they can make it shallower or deeper depending on the activity. They have aqua zumba and aqua fit classes there as well as general swimming.

Splashback!, the residents' campaign group which fought the closure of Leith Waterworld in January and is now working to re-open the leisure pool, has just launched an online user survey. This will help build the business case to re-open the pool.

Please take a few minutes to complete it at docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHJRYmN3OTJXUC1Ya0Y5dDdnLVZqVlE6MQ

For more info about the campaign, see www.facebook.com/SaveLeithWaterworld or splashbackedinburgh.blogspot.co.uk

Done.

Thanks scrablet, please share on your FB (if you have it) and pass on to friends - we need as many folk as possible to respond!