Confusion over Sobell
Published: 7 May, 2010
• THERE is widespread bemusement – and anger – at the illogicality of the council spending £1.7million of taxpayers’ money installing a new ice rink and repairing the roof and central floor area at Sobell Leisure Centre while stating on its website that it will demolish the centre.
It is this policy that users want reversed by the new council.
So, at the public meeting on April 29, it was pleasing to hear Katie Dawson re-state the support of the Green Party for keeping Sobell and Simon Toms reaffirm the support of the Conservative Party for its retention. Both stated their support for the cash investment needed to bring about this refurbishment and upgrading of facilities.
It was reassuring to hear Paul Convery’s statement that Labour will keep the building and that it plans to consult with all on how best to increase the range of sport and exercise facilities it offers. Such consultation will include a fully-costed refurbishment option and may include options that add a swimming pool and limited housing while retaining the existing centre and valuable green space surrounding the site.
Users and residents are not against more consultation but, in order to make an informed choice, do need this to be fully balanced, detailed and costed – unlike the simplistic, dismally unbalanced and very patronising consultation with which they were presented in mid-2008.
Centre users are now totally confused by the Liberal Democrat position. While the party’s leader, Terry Stacy, encouragingly promises more consultation on Sobell and has not ruled out keeping the building, the outgoing lead member for leisure and main proponent of Sobell redevelopment, Ruth Polling, restated at the meeting that the council continues to support the current policy and that, if re-elected, Lib Dems would demolish the centre, replacing it with a towering block of flats and a shrunk-down “leisure-led, mixed-use facility”, which she confirmed had been adopted in the core strategy plan for Islington.
If the two lead Liberal Democrats involved are in such disagreement, what hope do residents have of understanding their position?
Do the Lib Dems stand by their manifesto – or by Ms Polling’s statement?
Sobell users and residents have lived with uncertainty for nearly two years. They want this matter resolved by removal of the demolition/ redevelopment policy and adoption of a refurbishment/
investment policy.
Following this week’s election, all users and residents look forward to – and fully deserve – early reassurance from the new council that Sobell will not be demolished.
BARRY HILL
Sobell user representative