Pool at Lime Kiln Leisure Centre to reopen for summer (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Pool at Lime Kiln Leisure Centre to reopen for summer

7:00am Saturday 21st July 2012 in Royal Wootton Bassett

Lime Kiln Leisure Centre swimming pool will reopen temporarily during the summer holidays while a proposed state-of-the-art campus is being developed.

The Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade Area Board agreed in May to reopen the pool so people can benefit from swimming.

The pool will reopen on July 23 and provide an opportunity for people under the age of 16 to swim for free, thanks to Wiltshire Council’s decision earlier this year to reintroduce free swimming for young people during school holidays.

At the area board meeting on Wednesday, May 30, it was agreed essential repair work would be carried out to the pool, which was damaged by fire in December 2010.

Area board chairman Peter Doyle said: “We have listened to the community and we have been working with the shadow campus operations board so the pool can temporarily reopen to allow local people to use the facility while plans for a campus are moving forward.

“The proposed new campus, which will be subject to planning permission, will replace the Lime Kiln Centre.

"This is an exciting time for the area.”

Cabinet member with responsibility for campus development and culture, Stuart Wheeler, said: “I am very pleased that officers have found a cost-effective way of meeting the public’s desire to reopen Lime Kiln swimming pool to allow swimming to take place while the plans for the new campus are being finalised.”