AS councillors for Redhill and Northbourne we were dismayed to read the piece on the risk of closure for Redhill paddling pool.

This is a valuable and much-loved facility where for generations, parents, their children, and grandchildren have enjoyed its use. We asked last year, and again this year to keep it open.

Redhill doesn’t have a precept on council tax like Christchurch Town Council or a BH Live next door to help with the funding. The park café is run by the Parks Foundation, but they don’t have the spare funds to keep the paddling pool going.

Councillor Slade seemingly has decided what we can spend the ward community fund on, but as running costs are more than £40,000 for the four months it is in use, even if the community decided to contribute the whole £8000, it wouldn’t cover the costs!

The pool is safe for this year, but we feel that as council tax is increasing each year, surely the costs of this paddling pool could be met out of the total council budget which runs over £300 million?

In our ward we have the smallest library, and no other community facilities, yet pay the same council tax.

We need our popular paddling pool, but it seems the council would rather waste money through other crass decisions such as another unnecessary planning committee costing £100,000, 20MPH speed limits across BCP costing at least £140,000, ( a policy that came out of the blue), and unused civic centres costing hundreds of thousands to keep empty.

We will fight on with the community’s help to save this iconic paddling pool.

Cllrs Jackie Edwards and Stephen Bartlett Redhill and Northbourne Ward