Hanna Thomas ITV Wales reporter said, she wants it restored to its former glory talking about Aberdare Paddling Pool with local Councillor Ann Crimmings
Aberdare Park celebrated 150 years over the weekend and on Monday 15 July ITV Wales did a report from Aberdare Park included was an interview on the Paddling Pool that featured strongly in the report with the interview with local Councillor Ann Crimmings who is a member of Friends of Aberdare Park.
Previously there has been talk of replacing the paddling pool with a splash park but in the interview shown on Wales ITV national television there was no mention of demolishing the paddling pool and replacing it with a splash park by Ann Crimmings, quite the contrary with the councillor saying we do, we need to be working with the friend's groups to get this up and running no mention of a splash pad.
The interview below I may have left something out but I believe it is or was available on the ITV Wales website.
Hanna Thomas ITV Wales reporter said actually, I’m from Merthyr Tydfil but I can tell you Aberdare was known as the queen of the valleys and all of that was because of this place the paddling pool we came here in the summer very fond memories of splashing about in here but it's fallen into a bit of disrepair.
Introducing Ann Crimmings reporter said, Ann Crimmings is from RCT Council and she wants it restored to its former glory, the reporter said Ann we need to get cracking, in response the councillor said, we do, we need to be working with the friend's groups to get this (looking at the paddling pool) up and running, our past is so important to us for people of all ages and working with the friend's group we can ensure we keep them, top class.
The reporter then said, as far as green spaces go it's so important that we need to protect them, in response the councillor said, definitely, we working for the green flag and we got a health and wellbeing future generations all saying how important green spaces are.
Ending the interview the reporter said you are from Aberdare I know you are passionate about the area you want to see this place rocking in fifty years time, in response the councillor said I do definitely. END
Watching the interview the local councillor wants to restore we do we need to be working with the friend's groups to get this up and running I take it as no splash pad was mentioned in the interview it was the paddling pool they were discussing?
Only to find the following day Andrew Morgan writing on Twitter the opposite is it a case of one wanting one thing and the other wanting something else maybe?
The council says they had a consultation (the infamous RCTC consultations where every result goes the council's way) but this consultation was Friends of the Park group.
Andrew Morgan leader of RCTC wrote on Twitter “Plans are progressing with the Friends of the Park group for a splash pad as that’s what their consultation wanted, they have already raised about £270,000 of the £350,000 needed and on course to fully fund the scheme”
So the question is why are the council or councillors allowing the paddling pool to be demolished and not restoring it to its former glory as described in the ITV Wales interview?
If there is to be a splash pad there is ample room for both in the park so why the need to get rid of the paddling pool when it has served generations of local children and can do in the future, is the paddling pool part of the heritage of Aberdare Park or not?
