IT SEEMS to many of us who live in Portishead that as our town grows our amenities diminish. I was appalled to hear that our open air pool is marked for closure, and will someone be able to tell me how long our

IT SEEMS to many of us who live in Portishead that as our town grows our amenities diminish.

I was appalled to hear that our open air pool is marked for closure, and will someone be able to tell me how long our golf course needs to be unused before it can be used as building land?

I understand that the pool has been little used this year because of the weather, but it is obvious to all that it has been unimaginatively managed. We only need to look as far as Clevedon to see how a poorly used facility - the Marine Lake - has been transformed by energetic local residents, and has become one of Clevedon's most exciting attractions.

Too many councils make decisions about sites such as these behind closed doors. I urge that there should be a full public debate on the fate of both the swimming pool and the golf course. These locations represent some of the most important ways in which Portishead offers its residents attractive facilities for leisure. The loss of either of them to a mundane property developer would be a tragedy. At the very least the golf course would make an excellent public park.

I am aware that the council is likely to plead that other leisure resources exist elsewhere in the county. This is not enough. We are urged constantly to reduce our dependence on carbon fuels - those required for cars in particular - yet there is minimal public transport to enable other facilities to be used.

It is clear that leisure facilities, including uncluttered open spaces, must be local. It is also clear that without a public debate the suspicion must remain that a shabby deal is being concocted in private.

JOHN DAVEY - Denny View, Portishead