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Following the announcement that entry to Pontypridd Lido will be free of charge to swimmers during 2016, the powers that be have gone one step further and announced that next year people will be paid to swim there.
That’s right, My Rhondda News has learned that people will actually be given cash to swim in the Lido next year.
Spokesman Arsene Elbow, told us, “After making cuts in other places, such as closing Treherbert Pool, and shutting the fun slide in Tylorstown Sports Centre, not to mention our future plans to close Ferndale Infants and Ynyscynon Nursery School, we are pleased to be able to put these savings to good use, and provide free swimming in Pontypridd Lido this year. Next year we will give £3.50 to every person who swims there, every time they swim.”
This is a perfect example of how savings are being made across the authority, which inevitably change the way in which services are delivered and maintained.
“Free swimming comes at a cost,” Arsene continued, “but making strategic cuts elsewhere means we can prioritise what cash strapped families really need, a good day out at the Lido.”
Keen swimmer, Keeley Lanes from Pontypridd told us, “I think it’s a great idea really, rather than use income from the Lido to generate much needed public funds, make cuts elsewhere so we can use the Lido for free, whoever dreamt up that one gets my vote.”
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My Rhondda News 
Splendid idea closing those other flea ridden places, as long as us Pontypridd folk can have our Lido who cares about the valleys.
I used it once last year but didn’t get my hair wet.
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I think they should charge to use the lido, I was able to use it a couple of times last September, and would have been happy to pay. I noticed the same faces each time I went there, the fortunate few who live locally and aren’t in work. What about the rest of tax payers who are in work, unable to use it when it is quiet. I think it is a great facility, but those that are using it should pay to cover the costs, put the money into local facilities in other areas, for those who struggle with transport, etc, not just those local to the park.
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Maybe those same faces recognised you each time they went there too Tracey.
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you will have kids going there to swim just to get cash
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Absolutely absurd closing much needed facilities such as nursery schools and other out of Pontypridd leisure facilities so that payments can be given to users of the lido I cannot beg to believe what stupidity, nothing to mention the costs of getting to Pontypridd from places such as Treherbert for those on low income- we went all those years without the lido and now RCT are treating tax payers as idiots
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They should left treherbert pool open
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Many a true word is spoken in jest
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Why not use the money to refund train tickets for swimmers who have been ‘unfortunate’ to have their local pool closed, handing out free money will be taken advantage of for all the wrong reasons
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Get a grip. RCT WOULD NOT DARE pay u to the Lido. if they do my council tax bill goes in the bin as they cleearly do not need my money to provide servicez.
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You have got to be sh*tting me. Closing schools and then giving away things for free, I dont believe the paying people to swim bit, but giving it away for free is bad enough.
In fact, building the Lido in the first place was bad e-fecking-nough.
What a waste of money during these hard times, they could have kept Hawthorn pool open instead of building this vote attracting, top brass pleasing, construction back hander of a Lido, which will just be enjoyed by the few and for only a few months of the year, when Hawthorn and Treherbert Pools could have been enjoyed all year round.
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“whoever dreamt up that one gets my vote”. Exactly, it’s all about votes.
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What a load of muppets, don’t bother listening to what the voters want, like using the 6. Whatever million it cost to upgrade and keep places open, lets do what we want, take away the jewel in Ponty’s crown, I for one am very very glad that the Lido seems to be falling on it’s arse, will lesson’s be learnt, will it buggery.
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When they closed the free outdoor pool for the kids, everyone was up in arms. Now there is a brand new warm pool for FREE, everyone is up in arms! Nothing is free in life, we pay for it down a different route. Tylerstown pool is full of hair and wee! Crap changing rooms and small community and parking! I bet they all shop in lidl or also though. Get the bus to Ponty on the new empty bypass and swim for free. If you wanna pay then drive and use the car park. Cheaper than CARDIFF Man!
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Typical RCT. I work my arse off so you can give coin to the valley-scallies who will now get paid to ponce about in the pool all day whilst I’m in work paying for them to enjoy themselves. Oh and then they will use the said coin to buy cans of Bow & fags! FFS I lost my local library due to a so called cash strapped RCT for this bollocks!
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Really looking forward to picking up my £3.50 a swim next year. £24.50 a week to boost my pensions. Ha.Ha.Ha.
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Seriously, can`t believe the thick people being wound up by this. `ave a laugh for god`s sake!
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I think this is great idea by RCT! We need more ideas like this. I have been told by a local councillor that there is plan to pay people to walk around Ponty park. You would get a ticket and it would be £1.50 per lap. This is a great idea to get obese people out and about. Well done RCT again.
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Absolutely ridiculous! Keeping our schools open and educating the next generation is surely more important than a swimming pool. This council is a joke. So when the kids of today get to 18 with no local job prospects, no job skills, no academic prospects to get into a great university I hope they turn around and shut the old peoples homes, take away the older peoples services so these councillors, (who will by then. need the services) get shafted too like we are now
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I think this great idea all my friends from Poland are coming to earn much pay. Better weather than Poland to.
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My friend and I were both made redundant from Woolies and have been unable to find any work since it closed, We have just relied on part time work here and there, we will both use the pool seven days a week this summer and use the money to sit in the park with a pack of Carling Lager to cool us off after our swim. We don’t care about the closures up the valley as we were both born in Newcastle.
Thank you for the generosity RCT council.
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I think this is such a good idea that shops could also adopt it. If they paid you to go shopping, it would make it so much more affordable, and I’d have more money left to buy bags of chips. Say they paid you two pounds to go shopping. I’d go to Poundland lots of times every day, and make a profit, and could afford a battered sausage with our chips. I think the council are showing us the economy of the future. Bravo. What a shame some of the other commenters just haven’t thought it through like me!
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