It is time for the council to pause and reconsider

TO BE elected leader of any organisation usually means that you are perceived to be the most suited for the position.

Most good leaders along with other various attributes have the ability to listen and communicate.

In the case of the leader of North East Lincs Council, I would suggest he is lacking in both these departments, none more so than the way the proposed closure of Scartho Baths has been handled.

The intended new replacement pool was launched with a blaze of publicity showing plans with written words trying to justify the council's decision.

What I don't think they anticipated was the strength of feeling by the people of Grimsby to the closing of Scartho Baths.

The chain of events have been well documented in the Telegraph and all attempts for reconsideration have, I believe, been totally ignored by the council.

Some are listed below:

An address to the full council.

The handing in of a petition with more than 5,000 signitures.

A Save Scartho Baths website that currently has a petition with nearly 9,500 objections to date.

The request by our two local MPs and the comments of central government to reconsider.

Failure to disclose how they intend to redevelop the Scartho Baths site, I don't believe the council doesn't have a master plan.

Numerous well constructed letters to Viewpoint objecting to the closure and requesting information.

Refusing to disclose the costed survey that was carried out claiming it is not viable to save the baths.

All as I've mentioned, totally ignored.

The last item above I believe is the key to the whole issue. Repeated requests for the disclosure of this survey have been either ignored or we have been told it holds sensitive information and as such cannot be made public.

We are talking about a survey that was carried out, I would think, by a respected company with nothing more sensitive than the costings.

What if these costings justify the saving of Scartho Baths. It would totally destroy the council's case and until we see the survey this issue will not go away.

NE Lincs Council are under pressure from central government to cut cost and we can all sympathise with them, they have a difficult job to do.

But don't look for sympathy when you are prepared to invest serious money on projects that the vast majority do not want and when a fraction of the cost will totally refurbish our existing facility.

Finally, Councillor Shaw, another attribute all good leaders have is the ability to admit when they may have got it wrong.

Why not stop and consider the suggestion by Martin Vickers, endorsed by Austin Mitchell and as quoted in the Telegraph "To at least stop and consider alternatives to closure".

It is now time for the council to pause, reconsider and see how best to move forward with the backing of local people.

This move will considerably raise the profile of the council and, if you justify your case, I'm sure you will get full support.

John Stanley, Dunbar Avenue, New Waltham.

The Telegraph says:

The subject of Scartho Baths continues to bring comment to Viewpoint, but the council appears to be on a course from which it does not want to divert.

It has not been disputed that consolidating leisure facilities on one site would clearly save money, but would it be too costly, then, to put all the leisure facilities on the Scartho Baths site?