The northern swimming board is asking Tynwald members not to back the motion to transfer management of the regional pools to the government.

Chair of the Northern Local Authority Swimming Pool board Juan McGuinness has written an open letter to members, stating that the decision is ‘premature’.

The board believes the Knight, Kavanagh and Page report doesn’t find any failings in the current governance of the pools.

‘The report has found significant failures more so from the Department of Education, Sport and Culture rather than from the local authority swimming pool boards,’ Mr McGuinness said.

He added: ‘Although a review of all the island’s six swimming pools was carried out, the only detailed information presented in this report of November 2022, is that of the pools operated by the three local authority swimming pool boards.

‘Therefore, we believe that the report is incomplete, and we are of the opinion, as a board, that this motion by the minister is premature and heavy-handed and for members to be able to make an informed decision, we believe that the results of the three pools operated by the DESC, should also be presented alongside those of the regional pools, with all comparatives shown.’

The Ramsey commissioner explained that the board ‘welcomes closer communication’ with the DESC and other local authority swimming pool boards to improve offerings while seeking cost efficiencies.

He said: ‘The Northern Local Authorities Swimming Pool Board believes an opportunity to discuss the report with all key stakeholders to be the most appropriate action, with consideration to the reinstatement of reporting requirements to ascertain how we could move forward.

‘We feel the report is incomplete and until the whole of the information is collated the motion should not be supported.'

The board is ‘dismayed’ as to how the DESC could seek approval for this project as it believes the department cannot ‘break down the financials’ between the swimming pool and the sports facilities it already operates at the NSC.

‘Would this not be good financial governance to understand these costs before making judgements on any further spending?,’ Mr McGuinness asks in the letter.

He goes on to explain: ‘The NSC is heated via the waste heat from the power station, at least when the turbines are in operation.

‘This should be a significant cost saving to the NSC. The NSC is shown as performing poorly on admissions within the reporting period.

‘The report has commented that the pool had periods of closure, this can also bring about savings as we have found within our own operations.

‘With regards to the Learn to Swim programmes, the NSC is the lowest performer of all the island's swimming pools, reported at only 20% reach of its possible market.’

In terms of value for money, the board member states that the report highlights the fact that standalone swimming pools always require subsidies from the government.

He says the Northern Local Authority Swimming Pool Board made an application to the government to create a fitness suite which would have ‘cross subsidised the costs of the swimming pool operations’, however this was declined by the department.

Mr McGuinness concludes: ‘It is our belief that for the Department of Education Sport and Culture to put forward this motion without demonstration of its own performance seems premature.’

Tynwald is set to discuss this matter during the current sitting.