Swimming clubs in Borehamwood say they are holding their breath as new rules governing pools threaten to submerge their existence.

Joe Feely said his Hertsmere Flyers club would be forced to close if the borough council prevents independent groups teaching basic swimming at its pools -- including the new Borehamwood leisure centre.

When leisure officers put the rules to councillors in March -- in time for the opening of Potters Bar's Furzefield Centre -- politicians reacted to public protest and called for further research.

Now a draft swimming strategy is expected to be approved for public consultation by leisure committee members next month.

But Mr Feely said he feared it may be difficult for his 140-member club and other clubs to reach a compromise with Hertsmere before the new Elstree Way pool opens in January.

"The council wants to be the only people who can teach swimming," he said.

He claimed if his Flyers and other clubs were forced to go elsewhere, the council would lose £20,000 a year in rents. "There is a need for our clubs. The council want £50 for a 13-week course. We charge £4 a quarter for membership, and for that kids can come three or four times a week."

Mr Feely said he believed swimming clubs were performing a vital public service by keeping children off the streets.

At the March leisure committee meeting, leisure bosses said the rules were aimed at developing a co-ordinated approach to swimming coaching in Hertsmere.

By preventing swimming clubs offering lessons at levels also offered by the council, they said, more pool time would be freed for public use.

But after protest from the long-established Dolphins club in Potters Bar -- which claimed the move would wipe out two-thirds of its membership -- officers were told to prepare a consultation document for a leisure committee meeting in June.

Christine Pincott, chairman of Borehamwood Swimming Club, echoed Mr Feely's sentiments. She said if the rules had been passed in March, the effect on her club would have been very serious.

"They said they had done a survey, but it turned out they had not asked a large number of people. They did a survey in town centres in August when most people were away," she said.

But leisure committee chairman Joe Goldberg said although officers had strong views, he was determined not to upset the clubs and to secure a genuine compromise.

He said recent discussions with the Dolphin club had resulted in arrangements "100 per cent acceptable" to all. He added he had not spoken to Borehamwood clubs yet, but would be pleased to do so.

Hertsmere's leisure director Phil Collins said new rules would be out for consultation through the summer, and recommendations for action would be made in September.

He said a solution which all parties concerned could not agree to would be no solution at all. "If it's impossible we will have to think long and hard about what we are going to do.

"We do not want to endanger their support -- but people are always going to be worried about change. We want to allay fears and show people we have no hidden agenda. It's about trying to make the best use of the facilities we've got. We're not saying things are bad now, we're just saying that things could be better."

He added politicians had complained they had not had time to properly consider the plans, but by next month they would have had plenty of time.

The proposals originally stated that any child using a swimming club at the centre would have to be above the equivalent standard of the bronze Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) level.

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