Falkirk elite swimming team back calls to keep high school swimming pools open

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Members of an elite swimming team have met Labour councillors who say they won't support plans to close four high school pools in Falkirk.

The council's plans to close four high school swimming pools on a phased basis will be discussed when Falkirk Council meets tomorrow (Tuesday).Councillors Euan Stainbank and Jack Redmond say they have met with hundreds of young people, parents and coaches and have heard the same message from them all - the pools should stay open. Read more: Exclusive Mercedes deal could see 30 new jobs being created in Grangemouth On Friday, the councillors met with members of Falkirk Integrated Regional Swim Team (FIRST) - a partnership between several swimming clubs that has successfully trained swimmers to Commonwealth Games and Olympic standard.The team trains in Grangemouth High's swimming pool, which could be the first to close if councillors agree, and they added their voices to the objections to closure.Cllr Stainbank, who represents Falkirk South, said: “Since the proposal to close four of our school pools was brought forward Falkirk Labour have been out speaking to the people of Falkirk: poolside with our fantastic swimming clubs, at consultation events, at Parent Councils, at our surgeries and through the wealth of email correspondence folk have sent in."We’ve been clear throughout - we will oppose this proposal."Cllr Jack Redmond, who represents Larbert and Bonnybridge, added: "In the recent Strategic Property Review consultation contributions on the school pools were 52 per cent of all responses and there is a petition reaching over 4000 signatures trying to keep them open - the strength of feeling is obvious."We’ve been campaigning with our young people, parents, clubs and our