VISITOR numbers at Plymouth's Tinside Lido are on course to

hit a record low this summer – but the city's leader has said

the pool is 'here to stay'.

The washout summer has meant visitor numbers so far have

been much lower than in previous years, with just 5,081 people

taking a dip between the pool opening on May 24 and the end of

July.

The pool still has just over two weeks to go until it closes

for the year on September 7.

But even with a dramatic turnaround in the weather, visitor

numbers could fall well short of last year's disappointing

visitor total of 13,559, making it the worst visitor total

since the £3.4 million Art Deco pool opened in 2003.

The city's Labour group says the pool is a 'huge drain on

resources', but city council leader Vivien Pengelly defended

the lido, saying it was something people should 'treasure'.

Visitor numbers reached more than 24,000 in 2006 and 30,000

in 2005. Original estimates when the lido first opened in 2003

were for 30,000 swimmers per year.

And the fall in visitor numbers means the amount the

taxpayer puts into the pool – the subsidy – may rise sharply

this year.

The council estimates the pool's net running costs – the

amount the council has to find after ticket income – will be

£136,370 this year.

If current visitor numbers continue at the rate so far this

summer, estimated ticket income from around 7,600 visitors will

be about £21,000 when it closes.

That would take the cost of a dip at Tinside to £20.78 –

with £17.94 being footed by the taxpayer. The final figure,

however, will not be known until after the pool closes for the

season.

Last year's poor summer meant the council ran up costs of

£173,666, leading to a subsidy of about £12.80 per swim. The

subsidy in 2003 was about £8, with runnning costs an estimated

£250,000.

The subsidy does not include captial costs, such as the

£550,000 disabled lift which is due to be installed this

winter.

Mrs Pengelly told The Herald the lido was worth the money

spent on it.

She said: "Even though we have had a bad summer and people

have not been able to use it, it is still a fantastic asset for

Plymouth.

"It's something we should treasure because not many cities

have an asset like it.

"It's a beautiful example of Art Deco. It's really worth

keeping it as it is, even though it costs something to keep up.

If you have got an asset then you have to maintain it. It's

well worth spending money to maintain it.

"It's here to stay, as long as I am leader."

But Cllr Peter Smith, shadow Cabinet member for Healthy

Communities and Leisure, called Tinside 'a huge drain on

council resources'.

He said Labour had always known a large subsidy would be

needed to keep the revamped pool open, once the Tories had

decided to renovate it.

Therefore, he said the lido poses a tricky problem for

whoever is in power.

While Cllr Smith doesn't think the pool is financially

sustainable he also concedes it is a tourist attraction and

important for the foreshore.

"I know there would be a public outcry if the council

decided to close it – but it's one hell of a subsidy, a lot of

money," he said.

"If we were in control we would have to look at it sensibly

to see what could be done.

A spokesperson for Plymouth City Council said: "If there

were a sudden change in the weather, even if just for a few

days, these figures could change significantly. A warm bank

holiday weekend could bring in hundreds of swimmers and

thousands of pounds."

She said that running costs for this year may turn out to be

lower than the estimate, and that running costs can vary

considerably year on year depending on work that needs to be

carried out.

"It's not rocket science to figure out that the weather will

affect the trading position of the pool," Ian Bowyer, Cabinet

Member for Budget and Asset Management, said.

Tinside's visitor figures could only be judged at the end of

the season, he said.

"Obviously the weather has had an impact, but what the

extent of that is we simply do not know.

"We are monitoring it but we are pretty powerless to do

anything about the weather."

He stressed that staffing levels, such as the use of

lifeguards, were adjusted according to demand, in a bid to keep

costs as low as possible.

"Staff levels are flexible to meet demand. We manage

resources."

Mr Bowyer said he would look at making the pool operation

more flexible so that the season can be extended if the weather

permits.

"We would like to be more flexible but it takes time to turn

a big organisation like Plymouth City Council around – a bit

like a supertanker."

Cabinet member Peter Brookshaw said that climate change

meant the council had to look again at the season.

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