THE threat to the future of Cinderford swimming pool has been lifted – for now.

The future of the pool has been in doubt since it was revealed that South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, which sponsors Forest High School, is to pull out of an agreement which gives the school use of the leisure centre, including the pool.

Last May the SGS Academy Trust gave the Forest Council 12 months’ notice that it intended to end the 40-year-old joint use agreement which sees costs shared between the council and the trust.

If agreement could not be reached it could have meant the pool closing on May 31.

But the council and SGS have agreed terms which will allow the facilities to remain open while further negotiations take place.

At a meeting of the council’s Cabinet last Thursday (April 7), SGS chief executive Kevin Hamblin appeared to rule out any extension to the current contract.

But progress appears to have been made at the meeting on Tuesday (April 12) between the council and the trust.

A Forest Council spokesperson said: “Rep-

resentatives of the District Council and SGS Academy Trust have met this morning and have agreed terms which will ensure the leisure facilities at Cinderford remain open to the public while further negotiations take place with a view to securing a long term solution. 

“It was a very positive meeting at which everybody agreed to work together to achieve a beneficial outcome for the academy, the council and the community.”

It was a different message on Thursday when deputy leader of the council, Cllr Brian Robinson (Con, Mitchel­dean) asked the college to extend the agreement until August for a solution to be found.

Mr Hamblin said: “We’ve given a year’s notice that we want to discuss an exit – that is plenty of time to discuss and solve it. We’ve not put any money in from June 1.”

There also appeared to be progress when Mr Hamblin said the council could have a 999-year lease on the building.

The college wants the council to take on full responsibility for running costs and repairs while the council wants to modify the current agreement, increasing its contribution from 55 per cent to 60 per cent.

A ‘full repairing lease’ would cost the council £87,000 a year for a decade – the equivalent of 1.94 per cent on Council Tax.

Mr Hamblin said the college was subsidising use of the pool outside of school hours.

He said: “I don’t think the school should be funding somebody swimming on a Tuesday evening. At the moment that is the sition.”

The council’s strategic officer with responsibility for leisure, Andy Barge said: “When they say they are subsidising community use they are not, they are paying their share for educational delivery.

“What we are being asking to consider is council funding subsidising educational use.”

Mr Barge said the college could end up paying more if the council decided not to have an agreement.

He said: “If we walk away, SGS acknowledge they still have to run a sports hall. Will their costs go up if they don’t have a partner on site to share running costs?”

There was anger among opposition councillors that they had only found out about the crisis in the last few weeks.

Cllr Bruce Hogan (Lab, Lydbrook and Ruardean) said: “You (the Cabinet) didn’t think it right to tell the membership at large of this council that this formal notification had been received terminating the agreement as from May 31.

“We needed to know 10 months ago that this situation was ongoing.”

Deputy leader of the council, Cllr Brian Robinson (Con, Mitchel­dean) replied: “What we really need to be talking about is how we provide services in Cinderford going forward.”

The full council was due to have discussed the situation at its meeting tomorrow (Thursday) with a view to deciding what should be done from the end of May.

Although the report still appears on the council’s agenda, it is likely to be withdrawn.

A number of people from Cinderford attended the Cabinet meeting to express their concern and a petition on the website 38degrees. org.uk has attracted more than 1,100 signatures.

Forest councillors from Cinderford have decided to postpone a public meeting that was due to have taken place next Wednesday (April 20) at the Miners’ Hall.