The Long Term Strategic Plan for Regional Sports Hubs is flawed and inaccurate, according to the Southern Swimming Pool Board (SSPB).
In January 2023, Tynwald voted that Department of Education, Sports and Culture (DESC) and Department of Infrastructure (DOI) should ‘produce a costed long term strategic plan to develop Regional Sports Hubs as part of a newly branded offer’.
The Southern Board says that this motion “gave hope” that regional sports hubs would be created to give the public a streamlined, coordinated and improved local sports offering.
It says that “the actual report does not deliver this aspiration and DESC’s preferred option makes the situation even worse in the south. How can there be a regional hub at CRHS [Castle Rushen High School] if Southern Pool is closed and not replaced?”
Long Term Strategic Plan
The report includes the National Sports Centre (NSC) and its energy shortfall of £422,033.
The Southern Board says “a supposedly long term report has transformed into a short term cost cutting exercise to enable the funding of NSC deficits”.
It added: “The analysis in the report misrepresents the financial situation of Southern Pool. It suggests that an additional £220,682 is needed from DESC for 2024-25.”
The Board claims this is not true as the Pool’s set budget is “achievable even without the extra energy payment which the regional pools received the last two years”.
Adding: “The £220,682 includes £134,000 for depreciation which does not affect cashflow and does not need funding. In 2022, the SSPB reduced opening hours and closed its café to save money.
“The SSPB will continue to only open the pool 5 days a week yet the £220,682 is based on 7 day opening.
“The curtailed opening, although unpopular with the public, saves £55,040. Finally, the £220,682 assumes that the local authorities all contribute at 2.5p per £ of rateable value.
Southern Swimming Pool Board
“They can contribute up to 6.1p. If they all did this would generate an extra £55,440.
“In 2023-24, 3 southern local authorities did contribute at the 6p rate. The Southern Swimming Pool Board (SSPB) did not ask DESC for an increase in funding.”
Transport costs
In addition, the Pool Board added that the CRHS Masterplan does not contain a new pool:
“The residents of the south will lose their community pool. Some will give up swimming and the others including about 750 school children will have to endure longer travel times to more crowded pools.
“There is no mention of the physical closure costs of SSP or the financial and environmental costs of transporting southern children to the NSC. If SSP is closed, then there will regional inequality in swimming provision and funding.”
Young people
The Board also claims that the closure contradicts The Isle of Man Strategy for Sport 2014-2024, as it is “unlikely” to increase physical activity in Southern young people “unless they run or cycle to Peel or Douglas to swim”.
It added that “social inclusion will suffer as young and old will lose a safe welcoming place to meet others easily”.
DESC have stated that their recommendation is based purely on financial grounds.
The Board stands by its opinion and stated that DESC financial analysis is “flawed and should not be relied upon to make a decision”.
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