Independent Party backs campaign to save Portsmouth swimming pool and pledges to restore the facility

The Portsmouth Independent Party has pledged its support to a campaign to save Eastney Swimming Pool.

A group of independent Portsmouth City Councillors have promised to restore the Eastney Swimming Pool if they control the council after the local elections on May 2.

The council submitted plans for a £22m leisure centre and swimming pool in Bransbury Park which, if approved, would see the closure of the swimming pool and Wimbledon Park sports centre.

“Eastney Pool Redevelopment” campaigners flooded the streets on March 30, calling on the council to save the historic facility.

Now, the Portsmouth Independent Party has said it is “united” with the campaign due to the “overwhelmingly large support” to restore the pool for public use.

Group leader, Councillor George Madgwick said it’s important for the party to listen to and act on behalf of residents “rather than on national party policy lines”

“As councillors and candidates, we have a duty to act on the residents’ opinions and instructions and I believe we are now the only local party/group to fully unite under the decision to restore and reopen the site for the public.

“Not only that we will go further and say if we take over the administration following the May local election we assure we will reopen the facility and we will give the control over to a committee that includes local residents.”

It was noted that the party’s position “does not affect the Bransbury Leisure Project”.

The council’s planning documents for the Bransbury facility state the Eastney pool has reached “the end of its life cycle” and has poor transport links.

The decision to permanently close the pool was made in February 2021 after the council consulted the public on the cost options for refurbishment.

Eastney Swimming Pool was built in 1904 as part of The Royal Marines’ Barracks and was used to train “The Cockleshell Heroes” who, in 1942, canoed up the river Gironde to attack Nazi ships.