DESPITE talks with the area’s MP, a campaigner says he is upset at the lack of interest from borough councillors in his plan to see a outdoor leisure centre created in Rivacre Valley.
As the Pioneer has been reporting over the past month or so, Iraq war veteran Nigel Hunt wants to see the valley used as the location for a replacement for the crumbling EPIC leisure centre.
The Territorial Army soldier reckons this should feature an outdoor pool to replace the old Rivacre baths bulldozed a couple of decades ago, along with boating and fishing lakes.
Mr Hunt said: “I had a very interesting and informative meeting with Andrew Miller MP last week to discuss the possible locations for the new baths and sports centre.
“I will be asking our local schools to hold a design competition to come up with what the local children and teenagers would like to have.”
He added: “Some people may be wondering why I was speaking to an MP rather than the local councillors.
“The reason is pretty sad. After sending e-mails to them asking for a meeting, only one had the courtesy to reply but without an offer to meet me.
“So I then decided to write letters asking local councillors to meet me to talk about the new location and format of the new sports facility. But again, sadly, not one of them had the courtesy to reply.”
Mr Hunt has already had considerable support from the public for his idea.
On Saturday he and his wife will be at Asda’s Ellesmere Port store from 1-3pm collecting names for their petition promoting the new centre.
This will be presented to the council at the end of September.
Mr Hunt said: “If anyone wants to help they are more than welcome. I will provide the pens and paper.
“I don’t know how we will present the petition if we can’t get a councillor to meet us.
“But I do think it is a sad state of affairs when locally elected councillors will not meet the people who care and want to improve our town. I think they should remember who elected them and whose money they are spending.”
