Hartlepool council leader Mike Young discusses planned new leisure centre
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00:00 So here with Councillor Mike Young, the leader of Hartlepool Borough Council at the site of the new Highlight Leisure Centre.
00:08 Mike, what is the latest with Highlight?
00:11 So we had a very productive Finance and Policy Committee meeting yesterday.
00:15 All members, bar and three, were in support of Highlight going forward.
00:21 It goes to full council on the 28th of this month.
00:25 We're hoping that Highlight will get past that final hurdle and then we'll be on site by the end of the autumn as we anticipated.
00:35 There will be people in Hartlepool, people on social media saying it's not going to happen.
00:41 What would you have to say to them?
00:42 Well I think I would say to them that there's been significant public will for this to happen and I hope the political will will support it.
00:50 I think where I'm at is I've been very, very clear that we've got to get this off the ground.
00:55 I think all the members, including Councillor Shane Mowell, put a massive presentation yesterday at Finance and Policy
01:01 to say all of the reasons why Hartlepool needs to deserve this kind of development and I think that's the point.
01:06 Hartlepool have seen so many visions, so many master plans.
01:09 We always said that what people would want to do is put something forward that we could deliver
01:14 and this is something that we are definitely committed to delivering and we hope the rest of the councillors will do the same.
01:20 We think they will, there's no reason to come against this project at all.
01:25 Looking ahead to the potential, what would be the main benefits and attractions of it for the town?
01:30 Well I think it covers a number of things. There's an education in terms of kids that get to be at six months old how to swim.
01:37 That's something that we've said has asked for.
01:39 It's about health and reducing those issues around obesity and getting people active.
01:44 And then we're looking at a way of engaging with our adult and older community.
01:49 Those people who wouldn't normally access health services, we want them to come and access this facility for all the broad reasons, all the benefits.
01:57 I think the other point as well is we want to put some fun into fitness and activity.
02:03 So with having three pools, including the family pool, there's going to be a level of activity that people will be responsive to from a fun perspective.
02:12 It would be a good place to come to visit an attraction as much as it is an leisure centre.