Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe today threw his support behind the Telegraph & Argus Save Our Swimming campaign to prevent four swimming pools from closing.

Yesterday the T&A reported how Mr Sutcliffe was incensed by consultants’ advice to Bradford Council to consider shutting pools in Bingley, Manningham and Queens-bury as well as Richard Dunn Sports Centre at Odsal.

The recommendation follows a report by the consultant firm Strategic Leisure which was asked to carry out a review of the sport and leisure provision across the district.

While the Save Our Swimming campaign supports the plan to create a new city centre competition standard swimming pool, it seeks to sink proposals to close the four community or leisure pools.

Mr Sutcliffe, who represents Bradford South, said today: “I’m supporting the Save Our Swimming campaign and I know the people of Bradford will be right behind us.

“As Minister for Sport I was delighted when the Govern-ment recently announced free swimming for the over 60s, with the aim of free swimming for all by 2012 as part of our Olympic legacy.

“At a time when we should be looking to increase swimming provision in the city the Council want to close pools. It doesn’t make sense. Let’s have the city centre pool, but not at the expense of four others.”

Our readers can fill out the petition coupon above and return it to our Hall Ings office or take part in our online petition at telegraphandargus.co. uk. In addition, Mr Sutcliffe is starting a petition on his website at www.gerrysutcliffe.org. uk and a campaign page will follow.

Both petitions will be handed to the Council.

Councillor David Warbuton, the Council Labour group’s spokesman for sport, has also backed the campaign to save the pools from possible closure.

He said: “The report refers to information that goes back to 2001 and 2002, such as the population figures from the census. We are a small city and are based around communities.

“We should be looking at not just a central pool but strategic pools around the district.”

Liberal Democrat group deputy leader, Councillor David Ward, said the development of a sports strategy would be top of the agenda at his group’s next meeting.

Consultants at Strategic Leisure concluded that there were too many pools across the district but no central facility and no suitable 25-metre competition pool. They advise creating an eight-lane pool in the city centre which would attract swimmers from far and wide. The Council has been looking at a site off Thornton Road as a possible location since Thornton Baths closed in 2000.

Councillor Anne Hawkes-worth, the Council’s executive member for environment and culture, reiterated that the review is based on Sport England criteria. Although Sport England is not saying these pools must be closed certain things need to be done in order to have a chance at external funding for a strategic pool in the city centre, she said.

“If Bradford wants a first-class facility and a competition pool, it will have to conform to some extent with the requirements of Sport England and Sport England’s criteria.

“The alternative could be that residents have to be satisfied with third-class facilities which could wither on the vine,” she said.

Coun Hawkesworth added that a further report from the consultants will be available in three weeks and that an overall decision is not likely to be made until later this year after a consultation period.

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