RESIDENTS vented their frustration at councillors and officials demanding answers about the future of their leisure centre at a fiery meeting last night.
About 80 people gathered at Acton Baths, in Salisbury Street, described by residents as 'the heart of the community' to hear explanations why it must close for more than two years on December 4, three months earlier than expected.
Sarah Bradley, one of the organisers of the meeting, said: "Since the second consultation (on designs for the centre) quite a few of us have been emailing awaiting answers. Nothing was forthcoming."
Residents said they had only rumours to go on before the date was confirmed on September 24 and many were still unaware.
Ms Bradley added: "Even your website is out of date it relates to the situation back in May."
Lucy Taylor, the officer in charge of the project, said the baths had to shut in December for 'enabling works'.
These include draining the pools, moving out equipment and surveys to establish the amount of asbestos. Construction work would begin in spring.
She added final designs had not been drawn up but the working drawings had been altered according to the consultation results.
But residents asked why any work should be carried out before final designs and planning permission were granted, fearing their beloved centre would never reopen.
Council leader Julian Bell explained the enabling work had to be carried out in tandem with the planning process, as waiting could cause six months of delay.
He said: "I'm not expecting my officers to put in an application that doesn't get accepted.
"There was an even bigger outcry when we closed Northolt Swimarama, people didn't believe the new pool was going to get built but now it's the jewel in the crown of our leisure facilities and I want a second one here."
He conceded the planned 25 metre pool and the training pool would be smaller than the current ones but said they were still appropriate sizes and the difficult financial situation meant making them bigger was out of the question.
And he admitted the council could have done a better job of keeping residents informed.
Mr Bell's responses did not placate many residents who fear the council do not understand how important the centre is and criticised them for not doing more to help the groups based in it to find a new home.
An information pack including vouchers for free entry to alternative centres during December will be sent out to users soon. But that was little comfort to residents who face long bus rides to any new pool, journeys which the vulnerable may find very difficult to make.
The baths will become part of the £18 million Acton Town Hall complex which will also feature a gym, library, space for community groups and council offices.
