By John Elworthy FENLAND has fewer swimming pools that nearly every other council in the whole of the east of England. The figures were released today by Malcolm Moss, MP for NE Cambs, and follows a response he received from a Government Minister. Mr Moss

By John Elworthy

FENLAND has fewer swimming pools that nearly every other council in the whole of the east of England.

The figures were released today by Malcolm Moss, MP for NE Cambs, and follows a response he received from a Government Minister.

Mr Moss was told by Gerry Sutcliffe, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, that Fenland had just five swimming pools for the entire district.

Mr Sutcliffe provided Mr Moss with a list detailing all district council and unitary authorities in the East of England and in some places there are as many as 24 swimming pools.

In Peterborough there are 14, only one more than in Kings Lynn and West Norfolk and Huntingdonshire which both have 13.

Fenland is not quite bottom, since East Cambs shares that spot with Forest Heath, both on four, but there are some areas such as Colchester where they have as many as 24.

South Cambridgeshire has 13, and even smaller councils such as Uttlesford can muster 10.

Mr Moss also asked about playing fields in each area and was told Fenland had 112 compared to 141 in East Cambs, 223 in Huntingdonshire, 179 in West Norfolk, and a staggering 262 in South Cambridgeshire.

Bedford, with 322 playing fields, topped the list closely followed by St Albans, Colchester, Chelmsford and Mid Bedfordshire.

Ironically the issue of swimming pools was part of the issue which sparked tonight's crisis meeting at Fenland Hall.

For it was the suggestion of setting up a special task force to explore a leisure centre in Chatteris that prompted Councillor Alan Melton to send out the confidential email colleagues calling for support.