BCP Council to close Redhill Paddling Pool

Funding withdrawn from Redhill Park Paddling Pool

BH Live have stepped in to save the paddling pool at Littledown, but Redhill Park pool is still earmarked for closure. Bournemouth East residents with young families would be hard hit by the closure of this hugely popular facility, which has been in existence since WW2, when a water tank sunk into the ground during the war was converted into the first paddling pool.

What is the issue

• In a bid to reduce costs BCP Council has wrongly turned its attention to community facilities and leisure activities, impacting young families, whilst wasting hundreds of £1,000's elsewhere.
• The cost of maintaining this paddling pool is a few thousand pounds and removing this funding will have almost zero impact on BCP's £360m annual budget.
• The Council has simply withdrawn funding and expects the community or business to pick up the tab, as has happened with Green Flags and Blue Flags, but leaving historical Kings Park Nursery closed and Bournemouth Air Festival in jeopardy.

Why the paddling pool is important

• This pool is a much loved community facility, which has been enjoyed by generations of Bournemouth residents. 
• Many parents with small children would not be able to afford such activity if it wasn't free.
• The paddling pool provides outdoor fun for children who don't have a garden or easy access to play.
• Closing this facility would be detrimental to our youngest and most vulnerable residents.
• This is a community asset that brings people of all ages together, encourages activity and increased green space use, improving health and well-being.

What has happened so far

• Local resident Laura Ballantyne started a petition to stop the closure of all four paddling pools across Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, signed by over 3,500 residents.

See Laura's Petition 

• Out of the 4 pools threatened with closure by the Council, 3 have been saved by the community or business, but Redhill Park pool is still without funding.
• Local Resident Joss Holbrook started a petition to save this paddling pool, which now has over 2,600 signatures.

You can sign Joss' petition here

What you can do

• If you use or care about the pool at Redhill Park and the closure of community assets, please sign the petitions and write to your local councillor to let them know that you don't support the closure.

Find your ward councillor here