An MP has accused Bradford Council of doing a U-turn over its plans to close Bingley Pool – four years after he was told a new pool in the town was a priority.

In 2008 Bingley’s pool was threatened with closure and Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies was one of many who fought for it to be saved.

In June 2009, he was told in a letter from the Council that “a new pool for Bingley has been identified as a priority within the Sports Facilities Strategy as part of a ten-year plan.”

It said the Council was considering a new pool at Bingley Grammar School as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Mr Davies said he had not heard anything more about that. Now the facility is once again earmarked to be shut as part of a Council shake-up, along with the Richard Dunn Sports Centre and pools in Queensbury and Bowling. There are plans for four replacement pools, but not one in Bingley.

“It’s a complete U-turn. That’s the difference between when we have a Conservative-run council and when we have a Labour council,” Mr Davies said.

The MP had written to the Council raising the concerns of the chairman of Bingley Amateur Swimming Club, Geoff Killock, and received a reply from the Council’s assistant director leisure services.

Mr Davies said he had not heard anything more about the letter’s contents.

He said: “To my mind, this is what we’ve seen time and time again in Bradford. When the Labour Party is running Bradford Council all they’re interested in is the Labour Party heartlands around the city centre and areas out of that district, where I might add they raise much of their council tax revenue from, barely gets a look in.

“It’s the Labour Party in Bradford reverting to type once again and basically trying to look after their friends in the city centre.”

But Councillor Andrew Thornton, executive member for environment, sport and sustainability, said the district as a whole had been looked at when forming the current proposals.

He added: “The picture of swimming pool provision has changed considerably in the last four years. Significant cuts in Government funding totalling over £100 million since 2010 forced the Council to cut sports facilities in 2011 to balance its budget. In 2009 the Council operated 11 pools, today it runs nine and faces another £115 million in Government cuts in the next three years so provision, priorities and resources are very different now.

“Back in 2009, the Council explored the possibility of providing a new pool with community access as part of a rebuilt Bingley Grammar School. However, the incoming Coalition Government also scrapped the Building Schools for the Future programme, so Bingley Grammar didn’t get its new building and the possibility of a new pool was lost.

“Government funding cuts have continued unabated and if he wants evidence of political bias Mr Davies should need no reminding that his Coalition Government is hitting Northern cities like Bradford hardest while protecting the leafy Tory glades in the South.

“In 2012, we set out to develop plans for the future of sports and leisure facilities with the aim of providing high quality, affordable facilities in the right locations.”