Re Swimming facilities in our town

I am informed that Falmouth/Penryn and Buddock Water is the most populous borough in Cornwall. (figures obtained from the number of people registered with local doctors lists, which will include families living in the borough and also students that make up tO 20% of local population). Surely this should help to get funding from Michael Gove’s levelling up budget. Do tackle our MP and local councillors?

Now Falmouth is almost surrounded on three sides by water, and so it makes sense that we can all swim. Children should be taught this basic life skill, and it is indeed part of the National Curriculum (a legal undertaking) that children of 12 (I think) can swim and be able to tread water. Where can they now do this in our town?

Ships and Castles in now closed, and if we are not careful we will be sleepwalking into a permanent closure. If Cornwall Council get their way, I understand that they want to sell off this most valuable piece of real estate to developers. If this happens, we the people of Falmouth will lose out twice! One, no swimming facilities (something we have all benefitted from over the years and will be deprived to our towns youth) and two the loss of one of Falmouth’s USP (unique selling points) the green space currently available to all, of the headland overlooking the town, the harbour and the views over to Flushing, St Mawes and up the Carrack Rhodes.

So here is a thought

A local politician once said to me we can’t stop progress, but he should also have said we can have our say as to that progress.We should expect better!

• No demolition of Ships and Castles until a new swimming pool built

• The intended developers pay for the new pool ( when I lived in a London Borough, Sainsburys wanted to build a new superstore in the borough , and a condition was that they paid for or towards a new swimming pool

• We must not give away the town's “jewels’ for the profit of developers who may not even be in Cornwall but ‘up country.

Don't let us lose our heritage!

Malcolm Chuter

Arwenack Avenue

Falmouth