A packed information meeting in the village last night, a motion to reverse the council’s decision and a petition held by a newly established action group. These are all the aftermath of the decision by the municipality of Midden-Drenthe to close the Smelte swimming pool in Smilde.
“It remains curious how this all works,” says Cor Onderwater of Residents Platform Smilde a day after the information meeting. “The commotion is great. I did not go home with a happy feeling.”
In Smilde, residents have been using the De Smelte swimming pool for almost fifty years. The municipal council decided two weeks ago through a motion to close the swimming pool after the summer of 2026 and to allow the released money to flow back into the village.
“We are also the sports hall manager, so we have been exposed to all the disruptions over the years. You can then wait politically until it goes away. Or you can do something about it and make it clear that it is not responsible to keep the pool open,” councilor Gineke Radix (Positief Vooruit) previously told RTV Drenthe and says she submitted the motion with good intentions.
What particularly bothers residents and users is that the municipality itself is responsible for the maintenance of the swimming pool. “It is considered unfair to now use the overdue maintenance of the complex, which was caused by negligence on the part of the municipality itself, as an argument for closure,” says Onderwater. He also points out that communication is inadequate and does not correspond with the agreements between Smilde Residents Platform and the municipality.
It is feared that residents will soon have to move to Beilen or Assen for swimming lessons and recreational swimming. This is particularly sensitive for older residents of the village. “A question was asked by a 93-year-old resident who comes to the swimming pool on the advice of the physio. She is still physically fit because of swimming, but for her there is no point in driving up and down to Beilen. Then she is already tired by the time she gets there,” says a resident after the meeting who prefers not to be named.
Of the more than 200 visitors to the information evening, many returned home with questions. In the meantime, there is a petition from the action group Red de Smelte. If you click on the petition, you will see that it has been signed by approximately 700 people. The motion calls for “active commitment to the preservation and future of De Smelte Swimming Pool, so that this important facility remains available to everyone.”
A spokesperson for the municipality said by telephone that they experienced the evening as positive.
The municipality of Midden-Drenthe has planned a meeting with the action group and Residents Platform Smilde. This gives those involved the opportunity to discuss the options with the municipality, which both the action group and Smilde Residents Platform are happy with. Onderwater has been approached by various contractors from the area who are willing to contribute ideas. He also says he draws hope from the alderman’s statement that ‘the decision has not yet been set in stone’. “We want to discuss this before the concrete has hardened,” he explains.
The closure of the swimming pool will be discussed again in the municipal council next week. Opposition party Gemeentebelangen (formerly OMD and Gemeentebelangen BBBondgenoot) submits a motion to reverse the decision of two weeks ago. The party expects a high turnout. Due to private circumstances and the split from the largest opposition party, no one from the opposition was present during the municipal council in which the motion was discussed.