AM I the only person to be confused as to why we need a complete new leisure centre in Darwen because there is a crack in the pool?

If you have a leak in the roof of your house you don't go and rebuild it, do you? As a family we use the leisure centre most days of the week and as our children belong to the swimming club, we have travelled around other centres in the area and Darwen is one of the nicest.

When the children got to an age where they were old enough to go swimming with friends, we would go and do another activity, eg use the gym or play squash, so we were around if they needed us. This won't be possible on a split site. Also what about the people who go to the gym and then for a swim, they will have to travel across Darwen.

I know people have said car parking shouldn't be an issue as it is a leisure centre and a place where you go to get/keep fit, but lots of people use the gym at night to use the treadmills etc, as an alternative to walking/running the streets in the dark. Walking to the leisure centre in the dark isn't an option for them.

I am not opposed to change, it is just the way that it has been handled. We are told childhood obesity is at an all-time high, yet the children of Darwen aren't going to have any leisure facilities for two years.

Also there will be a group of children who may not get the opportunity to learn to swim.

If this centre does come off, all well and good, but I honestly believe that the original centre will get demolished, then the council will suddenly decide to build the new one elsewhere (Blackburn for example).

I still feel that doing the repairs would be a more cost effective and sensible way around this problem.

Name and address supplied.