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A PROPOSAL to relocate the Downham Swimming Pool and Library has left Lewisham Council in hot water with residents. Those living on the Downham Estate close to the pool in Moorside Road, are not happy about the plans and intend to flood the council with protest letters.

The pool has been closed for almost three years after it repeatedly suffered structure problems, the last of which was the roof caving into the pool below. Members of the Downham Estate Tenants and Residents Association (DETRA) are currently in dispute with the council over recognition of its representation of the area. The association and Grove Park Community Group have repeatedly called on the council to repair a leisure facility which is within a short travelling distance of thousands of people and Malory Secondary School.

The council says it wants to move the pool to Downham Lane on the extreme west edge of the estate which would mean building part of it on open space. A council spokesman said the most important reason for the new location was to qualify for lottery funding, as the site has to be classified as being in the town centre.

"The old site would not have qualified for any funding and there would be no new leisure centre," said the spokesman.

But the Grove Park Community Group says the move is "simply pandering to the whims of grandiose civic developers".

Vice chairman Jeff Cox said: "We don't hear anything from the council for ages, then all of a sudden we get this. We're furious with the council and are rejecting strongly the proposal. The pool serves the local community and money should be spent on it where it is now. By moving it, it adds a mile- and-a-half to the journey for most people, which can be at least two bus rides away."

"They appear to have consulted people in the area where the pool would go, but have barely bothered with contacting the people in the area they intend to take it from."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

9:30am Saturday 2nd May 1998

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