Newcastle Lib Dems decimate public access to the City Pool

Log onto the leisure section of Newcastle City Council and the City Pool is billed as a premier city centre facility:
http://www.newcastleleisure.co.uk/citypool 

However, over the last year or so, the council has been relentlessly attacking the integrity of these beautiful Baths by planning to close the learner pool and board it over for a performance space for their My Place project. There must be other possible sites in the city of Newcastle for the My Place scheme, but councillors have insisted on a) using a derelict site next to the pool and b)saying that the site isn't large enough! Their "solution" is to destroy the pool.

The Council's main answer to protests has been that Northumbria University will be opening a new pool and that groups like the City of Newcastle Amateur Swimming Club will be able to use this facility, but now a fresh row has ensued because the Club will not only be using this new facility (which opens on September 6th) but are set to monopolize the main pool five nights a week.  From September 6th the main pool in the City Pool complex will close at 4.30pm so that the Club can have sole access Monday-Friday.

The Council's reply at the moment is that ordinary swimmers can use the learner pool, but this is the one they want to destroy for the My Place project!!  If the learner pool is closed, then the City Pool will only be offering public swimming up to 4.30pm each day (Monday - Friday) which is extremely restrictive.

Are the Council trying to close the whole facility? It certainly seems so: by limiting public access they will be able to show there is less "demand" and that it is "uneconomic" to continue or some such nonsense.
As usual, the so-called consultation over the learner pool took place only after the My Place decision had already been taken and there has certainly been no public consultation over the greatly reduced availability of the main pool. That's democracy for you.