Leisure facilities for Chatteris: lies, damned lies and statistics

12.00.00pm GMT Fri 1st Jan 2010

LIES: In May 2007 Chatteris elected four Conservatives to Fenland District Council on their pledge: "If you live in Chatteris and wish the town to have a swimming pool and leisure centre, your chances are much greater if you stick with your Conservative Councillors". As 2010 dawns, what progress has there been? Is a Leisure Centre likely to open soon? No! Do we look like ever getting a swimming pool? No!

DAMNED LIES: In June 2009, whilst seeking re-election to the County Council, Alan Melton claimed "to have secured £1.5 million from Cambridgeshire Horizons for leisure facilities in Chatteris". Had he? No, he had not!

STATISTICS: In September 2009 the Deputy Leader of Fenland District Council (since resigned) and the portfolio holder for Leisure attended Chatteris Town Council and told them that they had a Sport England report which they claimed "showed statistically that Chatteris didn't need a swimming pool until 2021". Local Liberal Democrats found this very hard to believe and so Cllr Chris Howes obtained a copy of the report from Sport England. He and fellow Liberal Democrat Cllr Christine Colbert weren't surprised to find that the report actually said nothing of the sort!

In June 2009 Chatteris Town Council approved Cllr Chris Howes's motion "This Council calls upon Fenland District Council to commit sufficient capital funds to build a Chatteris Leisure Centre to equal or better facilities currently enjoyed by all the other Fenland market towns". In September the Chief Executive finally acknowledged the motion but said it could not go before Cabinet until December. In December 2009 - guess what ? The motion didn't appear on the agenda!

Local Liberal Democrat activist Diane Baldry said "Yet another in the long history of broken promises! I don't believe that serving Chatteris even appears on the District Council's agenda at all".