21/11/2007

Woking

Letters from November 15 2007

New leisure charges will increase usage

EDITOR  — The front page story about leisure charges in (News and Mail, November 1) made interesting reading but presented a slightly one-sided version of the situation.

The proposed new charging structure is designed specifically to encourage increased use of the leisure centre and the Pool in the Park to encourage healthy exercise and promote  well-being.

It has been recognised for some time that the somewhat clumsy and complicated charging structure has inhibited some customers from using these facilities and the ability to purchase a ‘Passport to Leisure’ card only from the Civic Offices has been inconvenient.

The new structure will enable customers to:
Purchase a leisure card at any of the points of use;
Gain speedy access to the facilities with a ‘swipe’ card;
Obtain substantial discounts for anyone receiving a means-tested benefit;
Receive similar discounts for children and anyone in full-time education;
Attend any of the facilities as often as they wish at no extra cost at all;
Try out activities, new to them, at no extra cost;
Still use the casual Pay and Play method of payment if they wish to.

Not offering automatic discounts to customers over 60 is in line with government guidelines on age discrimination. It can well be seen as discriminatory to assume that customers over 60 years old are automatically on low income.

At the other end of the age spectrum eligibility for a discount is by educational status rather than numerical age. 

Any customer, irrespective of age, will be entitled to a very substantial discount if they are in receipt of any means-tested benefit.

At council meetings, be it the overview and scrutiny committee or the executive, there is the opportunity for a full, free and frank discussion and for questions to be asked and answered. The LibDem group did not avail themselves of this.

Instead they choose to continue the discussion in the columns of your newspaper.
Cllr Michael Smith
Deputy leader of the executive and portfolio holder for leisure
Woking Borough Council

Holding council to task

EDITOR — Having read your article on the front page (News and Mail, November 8) regarding the Parley Drive phone mast, I would like to know following the ombudsman’s report, who or what official and independent authority will ensure that suitable action really is taken within the corridors of Woking Borough Council.

Residents and rate payers of the borough have the right to know, and know for sure, that not only are the ombudsman’s directives carried out, but that whoever was responsible at the council (and now we read that despite all they said previously there was “maladministration” by them) is held to task.

To read that the planning department’s procedures for dealing with phone mast applications were inadequate and that staff must be retrained because of their mistakes is absolutely horrifying.

If they got it wrong this time, then how many examples of “maladministration” might have affected previous planning applications, possibly of all types not just masts?
Name and address supplied

Ode to The Yawning

EDITOR  — I would name the new structure outside Woking station The Yawning.  A little ditty: 
Alighting the train here at Wokin’
There's something that’s got folk a ‘smokin’
It's big and it's brash
And it cost lots of cash
But it keeps you from getting a soakin’ .
Paul Velissarides
Robin Hood Crescent
Knaphill

First printed in: Woking News and Mail