Making waves over future of Cascades (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Making waves over future of Cascades

11:49am Thursday 12th October 2006 in News

Local people will get the chance to have a say on the future of Cascades in Tewkesbury.

The Tewkesbury Guild, set up to raise money for the pool and look after it, is holding its AGM on October 18. This will be open to the public and include a discussion on its future.

Borough councillor Mike Beresford will also attend, to speak about the council's proposals for a replacement leisure centre.

However, guild chairman Marion Roope is concern that some people think the organisation is not doing enough and should be more militant in securing the future of the pool.

She said: "The guild was set up to fund the building of the original pool and look after it, but our constitution does not allow us to become political in any way, however strongly we feel.

"If people want to start a protest group they will have to do so separately from the guild."

Mrs Roope also feels that it may be necessary to re-launch membership of the guild, as once the money for the original pool was raised in 1972, subscriptions were no longer collected and membership for most people has lapsed.

"I understand from the Charities Commission that we can re-instate them for a small subscription and that may be what we have to do,"" she said.

The meeting, which is open to all, takes place at the Boys'' Brigade Headquarters at Oldfield at 7pm.

Anyone who wises to attend but cannot get there should go to the Town Hall between 6.30pm and 6.45pm, when cars will be available to take them.

The borough council wants to build a new leisure centre in the grounds of the council offices on Gloucester Road. However, chief executive Terry Turner has said that while the council is committed to the plan, there is no certainty yet that it will happen.