Worthing's former Paddling Pool

Local Liberal Democrats are outraged today (Thursday) following news that Worthing residents are being excluded from this evenings Adur & Worthing Joint Strategic Committee (JSC) when funding arrangements for the new pool are to be discussed, yet again.

The report to the committee has been printed entirely on “pink papers” which means they are only available to councillors. We trust if Worthing residents are excluded then surely Adur members of the committee will also be excluded?

Lib Dem Group Leader Alan Rice was alerted to the existence of the report when reading the JSC agenda on the Worthing Borough Council website. Item 9 Funding strategy for new pool – copy to follow. Barely 24 hours before the meeting was due Alan finally obtained a copy of the report and was astonished to find it was on “pink papers” – effectively gagging him. There was no indication on the website that this would be the case.

Alan Rice said:

“We have long entertained fears over the very fragile funding arrangements for replacing the Aquarena which were last agreed in March this year but Tories have assured us time and time again the new pool was fully funded – so why the need for a new report? Don’t tell me the special Council in March to vote through additional funding was the complete waste of time and money we feared.

The report for that meeting was in the public domain – so why not this one? I know the answers but I am not allowed to say – the Tories as usual have something to hide.”