What price healthy activity in the run-up to Olympics?

• AS the then leader of the council and cabinet member for culture, we were both proud to take part in the reopening of the Mornington Sports Centre in February last year. 

It was a ground-breaking initiative introducing facilities available at low cost to a range of local people, including young people not drawn to traditional sports, as well as a general refurbishment.

Why then is the current Labour council now in such a rush to close the Mornington down and sell it off?

The answer will doubtless be that the council urgently needs capital funds to improve schools – but surely this is simply robbing Peter to pay Paul as young people need both good schools and good sports centres?

In the run-up to the Olympics, when a major theme is to involve more people in healthy sporting activities, it beggars belief that Labour councillors are pushing through this ill thought-out sell off.

Local people have not even been consulted on this plan, which is based on a flawed rationale and dubious statistics. Contrary to what Camden would have us believe, there has been an increase in memberships and in profit at the Mornington since the beginning of the year.

This seems to be yet another example of Labour’s fire-sale attitude to Camden’s assets.  

We are calling for a delay to allow for a proper review with full public consultation on all the alternatives.  

It would be shameful simply to close down this valuable resource and sell the site to the highest bidder.

CLLR KEITH MOFFITT
Liberal Democrat Leader 
of the Opposition
CLLR FLICK REA
Shadow Cabinet Member 
for Culture 

Published: 14 July, 2011