Chatteris councillors agree to helping Empress Pool reopen

There is currently a GoFundMe appeal run by the trustees of the privately owned Empress Pool, which was forced to close its doors due to problems with the building's structure.

Since the closure more than 18 months ago, the trustees have had major works carried out, and the project is nearing completion.

However, the cost to complete the work is around £3,000, and so trustee Julian Frost has been running the GoFundMe appeal, which has so far raised around £1,800.

A GoFundMe appeal is being run to complete structural repair work at the Empress Swimming Pool in Chatteris. (Image: Empress Pool Trustees) On his appeal page, he said he was hoping the pool would reopen this year, and hopefully by the end of October.

At their meeting last night, Chatteris councillors discussed the possibility of handing over a grant to help the appeal hit its target.

The council's financial officer, Angela Papworth, raised the possibility but said they had not yet received a proper application. She had, however, looked at the possibility and said there is money in the leisure reserve funds that could be used.

The leisure reserve money, ironically, is that leftover from when the council was hoping to fund a new pool for the town.

Cllr Sue Unwin made a heartfelt plea for the grant to be given.

She acknowledged the pool was privately owned, but she said generations of townspeople had learned to swim at the Empress, and it was used by a lot of people.

Cllr Unwin said the local schools use it and have really missed it since its closure, as they have had to bus pupils to March for swimming lessons.

"I just feel the community would not think this was a waste of their money," she said, "The money needed is not so much, and the pool means so much to the town."

Cllr Sharon Selman pointed out that while the pool is privately owned, it is run by trustees.

She added that Mr Frost had been giving regular updates on the work carried out at the pool via social media.

Town clerk Joanna Melton said that in the past, Fenland District Council had given grants, but had stopped because it was decided at the time that the pool was in a financial position where it did not need the money.

So she said there was a precedent for giving grants.

Councillors agreed to look further into giving the trustees a financial helping hand and said the matter should be added to October's meeting.

In the meantime, it was hoped that a proper application for funding would be made by the trustees.

Mrs Papworth said: "This is not an item on the agenda, and it is a financial matter, so a decision cannot be made tonight. We need a proper application, with all the relevant information, so we can look at the matter properly."

Councillors Selman and Unwin said they would be contacting the trustees to encourage them to make the application and ensure they gave all the necessary information.