Victoria Leisure Centre Finally Done For

I missed this tweet from LibDem Cllr Alex Foster earlier.

Seems that the much contested plans to rebuild Victoria Leisure Centre were approved for planning permission today.

The Post Describes NCC 'Consultation'

"Initially, a consultation on the future of the building, undertaken by the city council, produced a majority in favour of refurbishing the existing building. Subsequently, the council went into local schools and made presentations to the children. When their views were counted the results were reversed and there was a majority in favour of the rebuild."

Evening Post, 6 Feb 2010

I can't imagine that those kids were unduly influenced by those propaganda sessions presentations can you? After all, young children are notoriously hard headed with fully formed political views and NCC would be completely wasting their time attempting to manipulate them in order to skew the consultation results.

March to "Save Victoria Baths"

I've been asked to let all you good people know about the demo this weekend to demand the Victoria Leisure Centre remains open.

On Saturday 6 Feb the 'Save Victoria Baths' campaign invites you to join them for 11.30am in the Market Square when everyone will march down to Sneinton for 12 midday.

Here there will be music (but not moonlight presumably. And the position on love and romance is up to you) as well as guest speakers and an opportunity to sign the campaign petition if you have not already done so.

There may be trouble ahead for the baths but make your views known by joining the march this Saturday.

Some Petitions...

Was going to write a bit more about these but I'm restricted for time so this'l have to do.

I mentioned before the sudden announcement of the Viccy Leisure Centre's early closure but I think I should also link to the campaign website. So I have.

They have also started a new petition against the closure which I think is worth a link of its own, so here it is.

Another local campaign also deserves more of my atention, so I hope my blogging coleague Alanadale won't mind me poaching his write up about the campaign to stop NCC encroaching on Stonebridge City Farm in order to provide more car parking.

They to have a petition against the plans and it can be found here.

Go sign. Then make all your friends sign.

Again, sorry to both campaigns about the brevity but I'm a very slow typist and I'm temporarily forced into the world of public internet access, best of luck to you both.

Victoria Baths Decision

The Executive Board met on 21 April to discuss, among other things, which of the three options for the development of the Victoria Leisure Centre to go with.

It will probably come as no surprise to the campaigners that Option C was chosen. This was the option involving the demolition of the centre, apart from the historic clock tower, and the fewest leisure facilities. It was also the most expensive option but happily frees up a nice juicy big chunk of development land.

The minutes record that 'consideration' was given to a minute extract from the last meeting of the St Anns and Dales Area Committee meeting which had previously considered the various options in order to make a recommendation. Unfortunately we don't know what that recommendation was because the minutes of that meeting have yet to be made public.

Whatever the outcome of the Area Committee meeting, the Executive Board decided to go with the report of the Corporate Director of Community and Culture which, not only endorsed option C but had been written before the Area Committee had even had a chance to meet and the final options. I wonder how important they're feeling right now?

The Save the Victoria Baths Campaign have long been arguing that option C was not the one wanted by locals and had amassed quite a bit of evidence to back this up. Have a look at their website where they explain all that and make your own mind up about how much local opinion matters to the boys and girls in the Council House.