THE RATH PADDLING POOL in Milford Haven is set to be saved despite plans by Pembrokeshire County Council to stop its funding for the popular facility.

The pool had been identified as a potential saving in an email sent to all councillors prior to a Full Council Meeting on Thursday, March 2.

On hearing that it would close at Thursday’s Council meeting, Cllr Stephen Joseph, who has played an active part in saving the pool before, said he was ‘bleeding furious’.

Cllr Joseph was unable to read that email and said that many people in Milford use the pool during the summer.

Senior Officers in the council have apologised to Cllr Joseph for the way the situation has been dealt with.

Cllr Joseph told the Herald that they now need to secure the pool for the future and that he would be submitting a written request to Milford Haven Town Council, to ask them if they will be able to take over the running of the pool.

Speaking at the meeting on Thursday, Cllr Joseph said: “I am flabbergasted to be honest. I didn’t read that email yesterday so that came as a bit of a bombshell to say the least.

“That was certainly not mentioned at the last seminar I went to but in actual fact, the Head of Leisure pulled me to one side and said we need to talk about the paddling pool down the Rath but I said I’m quite happy to take the guys who work down there and do all the building maintenance that needs doing for the summer, that’s the only conversation I’ve had about the Rath Swimming Pool.

“To find out today that it’s shutting down I’m bleeding furious to be honest with you. Every year I go down there with friends of mine, a couple of the town councillors weed the place and clean it and no one’s got the courtesy to phone me and say that it’s closing.”

Council Leader Jamie Adams said: “We provide a county swimming pool in Milford Haven at the leisure centre; you cannot argue that the Rath is a county facility, therefore, with £170,000 of precept is the Town Council the appropriate body consider the operation of that funding? I would suggest that it’s worth a conversation.”

Cllr Joseph added: “A lot of senior officers and possibly yourself know the commitment that a lot of people in Milford have for putting this pool on every year. I really appreciate what the authority has done in the past.

“To hit it with that for a £1000 saving which on paper, I believe it’s higher than that in reality, and to put this into perspective there is a large element of single parents in Milford, they don’t drive and this paddling pool in the summer, which takes a maximum of 30 people, these people go down there for the summer, they can’t walk to the beach, they can’t afford buses.”