Before the scrutiny meeting takes place on Monday, I would like to ask a question.

Would you like a brand new state of the art swimming pool attached to a very successful leisure centre that is located within two miles of the old site at Temple Cowley, on the Oxford ring road and a 24 hour bus route, and with ample parking?

Would you like it to be fully-accessible by disabled residents and able to accommodate more school children in a brighter, cleaner atmosphere?

The answer has to be ‘yes’.

Now let’s ask ourselves this question: Would you like it built in Blackbird Leys?

Reading between the lines, this whole argument boils down to plain old snobbery.

If all the people who signed the petition, including children under 16, actually used Temple Cowley pool, this would have have generated sufficient income to pay for the refurbishment needed in the first place – and there would be no need for a new pool.

All I ask is that common sense is applied. Let’s base the final decision on what is right for the masses, not just the few.

S Townsend, Oxford