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Walsall awash with swimming pools says council
Walsall Council has said that the town has twice the number of swimming pools it actually needs, leading to fears that more leisure facilities face the axe as the council continues to press ahead with its cost cutting budget.
In an attempt to justify the closure of Willenhall Leisure Centre, the council claims that there are 27 swimming pools operating in the borough when, according to a report by Sport England, the town only requires 12. Councillor Melvin Pitt, who represents Bloxwich West for the Conservatives said: “It`s costing us an arm and a leg to subsidise Willenhall baths and the simple truth is it isn’t being used enough.”
Around 80,000 people visit the baths each year including school groups who use the pool for swimming lessons and Serco, the private company that runs education in Walsall, have been told to find alternative swimming provision for Willenhall schoolchildren when the leisure centre closes. Local councillor Ian Shires for the Liberal Democrats said eight schools would be affected if the pool closed and it made no sense to him to close a facility which people can walk to and raised concerns about finding alternative provision for schoolchildren.
He said: “Currently there is provision in Willenhall town centre. This is a central location which people can easily access and to me we should be looking at ways of how we can increase the usage of this centre.”
Campaigners battling to save the leisure centre have poured scorn on the figures regarding swimming pool provision in the town. Elaine Ward of Alton Avenue said: “We are told there are 12 swimming pools at secondary schools and 10 at primary schools, but there are only two at secondary schools in the Willenhall area and the only one I am aware of at a primary school is Woodlands primary – this is currently closed for repairs.
“This being so, there will not be enough facilities for our very young to be taught to swim should Willenhall Leisure Centre close.”
School swimming pools are currently not open to the public and the council has suggested that residents should travel to Sandwell or Wolverhampton to use leisure facilities. Conservative leader of the council, Mike Bird who represents Pheasey Park Farm, said: “Every day we open the front door of Willenhall Leisure Centre it costs us £900. It is true that attendances have increased in recent months but from a base that was completely unacceptable.
“The administration of this council has a duty by law to put forward a balanced budget and I’ve heard nothing to say the problems at Willenhall can be rectified.”