The Council has been at best inept and at worst mendacious. It is clear that the strategy, described many years ago by Jim Dowd as I recall, is to keep having a vote until people get the right answer.

The people's response to the 3 'Pools Consultations' has been pretty consistent, but in each case has given the 'wrong' answer to the Council's preferred action.

I think it is fairly clear that the policy aim is to build flats: Forest Hill Central, Tyson Road, Dartmouth Road. This will help the Council tick the box set by the government for new 'homes'. I cannot see any intrinsic objection to this, other than that new building should be considerate of existing residents' views and general externalities. The failure of the Tyson Road application is encouraging, but as has been pointed out elsewhere, it ain't over yet.

The Council's preferred outcomes to the Pools' issue has been to build flats on the site. I am sufficiently skeptical to doubt that there has ever been a serious intention to (re)build a pool. The huffin' and puffin' by apologists for the Council has not provided argument or evidence to dent my view either. Accusations of 'childishness' are generally unhelpful and potentially double edged. Who can read the latest statement by the Council, about a pool in Willow Way or nothing until 2015 ... if you're lucky, as other than a rather petulant response to the expression of local residents views on the matter.

I think the collection of 4000 signatures is amazing and brilliant and makes a BIG statement about local concerns. And there's the rub.