Weinstadt in turmoil: Citizens protest against outdoor pool closures!

Weinstadt in turmoil: Citizens protest against outdoor pool closures!

In Weinstadt, a city of great importance for the region, citizens are currently concerned about the planned closure of the outdoor pools in Strrumpfelbach and Beutelsbach. This decision was recently discussed intensively at a local council meeting, where numerous citizens raised their voices during the public question time and protested against the closures. According to the Stuttgarter Nachrichten, citizens of the S'Freibädle Hülsesbach initiative have already submitted a proposal for a new association to take over the outdoor pool and have collected over 700 signatures for their application, in addition to 400 members in a social media group.

Mayor Michael Scharmann described the high number of participants as “record participation”, which shows how much the citizens care about the issue. In the midst of the protest, a man from Strrumpfelbach handed the mayor a 910-page catalog of questions about the city's plans. Scharmann explained that a citizen dialogue event would take place on July 7 to discuss the consolidation plans.

Need for renovation and financial situation

The city is facing a budget gap of €4.6 million, highlighting the need for long-term cost savings. In order to bring the outdoor pools up to date, extensive renovations would be required, which, according to a report, would cost between 8 and 10 million euros, but without taking into account personnel, energy and maintenance costs. This presented the community with a difficult decision, influenced by increasing pressure to save money ZVW added.

The city is also planning to build a new central outdoor swimming pool. Mayor Scharmann emphasized the social value of outdoor pools, while opponents of the closure expressed concerns about the increasing traffic load around schools and the lack of shade trees at the new outdoor pool location.

Future steps and dialogue offers

At the meeting, Scharmann offered to postpone the decision on the closures in order to give potential Bädles clubs time to work out their concepts. These concepts are expected to be submitted by mid-September, and the city plantation will consider the proposals on October 1st. A further decision on action is expected on October 23rd.

The discussion about outdoor pools reveals not only financial challenges, but also the strong commitment of citizens to community facilities. The coming weeks will be crucial in clarifying what will happen to the outdoor pools in Weinstadt and to what extent citizens can be involved in the decision-making process.