Council aiming to make big splash (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Council aiming to make big splash

7:30am Thursday 6th November 2008 in

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A £25 million bid for Government funding has been made by Bradford Council for a showpiece swimming pool and ice rink complex on Thornton Road in the city centre.

A preliminary feasibility study has also identified a need for three new pools in South Bradford, Bingley and Queensbury.

But the report to be put to the Council’s executive next week increases the uncertainty over the future of one of Bradford’s community swimming pools.

The “supply-and-demand” investigation carried out by Genesis Consultants for Jane Glaister, the strategic director of culture, tourism and sport, suggests that if city centre pool plans go ahead, Manningham Pool could be closed without reducing choice or accessibility for pool users.

It also considers the implications of closing the Richard Dunn Sports Centre, admitting this would “slightly increase the level of unmet demand for swimming across Bradford”.

The provisional study into the future of the district’s swimming pools studies the impact of five scenarios starting with the current situation and ending with the effect of closing five pools and replacing them with the city centre showpiece pool.

The Council now believes existing pools in Bingley and Queensbury would have to be replaced with new ones at some point.

Earlier this year it rejected a consultants’ report to close the four pools.

More than 2,600 people have signed up to the Telegraph & Argus Save Our Swimming campaign, which calls for the Council to safeguard the future of community swimming pools in the district and to build a new showpiece pool in the city centre.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, executive member for culture and tourism, said: “A decision hasn’t been made yet but there is clearly a need for new pools.

“We will be accepting the report next week but not making a decision at this stage. The officers involved will be asked to clarify any details.

“There is an intention to keep a pool in Bingley. It will be very likely we will be building a new pool there rather than keeping the current one but at the moment we don’t know.

“It is not likely that we are going to keep the Richard Dunn Sports Centre because the Odsal Sporting Village will be just across the road.”

Phil Barker, assistant director of leisure services, said: “Modelling was done for us to assess supply and demand and it identified that there was a need for additional pools.

“Bradford’s current Ice Arena is very old and it makes a lot of sense to build a new ice rink alongside the swimming pool – there are opportunities for energy saving because of heat exchange between the two facilities.

“We have thrown our hat into the ring applying for Government funding but at this stage that is all that we have done.

“The recommendations to executive are only to agree what will form the basis of a public consultation exercise. The finding of the consultation will then be reported back to executive.”

The City of Bradford Swimming Club has welcomed the proposals for a city centre pool although it says it would have preferred a 50-metre competition sized pool rather than the 25-metre one proposed.

There is one other 50-metre pool in West Yorkshire at the John Charles Centre for Sport in South Leeds.

Mr Barker said: “The proposed pool is only outline at this stage and was to meet a specific deadline imposed upon the Council.”

Similar Olympic-sized pools throughout the UK have cost between £16 million and £20 million to build. It is envisaged Bradford’s proposed city centre pool will cost £15m and the ice rink £10m.

Swimming club committee member Kath Bonson said: “We lobbied for a 50-metre pool but we understand that isn’t going to happen. Any extra pool space in Bradford will be welcomed but a lot depends on whether they will be replaced.

“I don’t think to replace the pools with one city centre pool would be adequate.

“A lot of the old ones are not ideal, Manningham in particular is very old fashioned. We want what is best for the swimmers and a 50-metre pool would have been ideal.

“It is important that any new pools are in place before old ones are closed so swimmers have somewhere to go.”

Angie Green, manager of Bradford Ice Arena, said if the arena and the Council worked together the proposals could be beneficial for both sides, and for the people of Bradford.

She said: “I don’t think they would do anything without consulting us as we would be in direct competition, and we have a good relationship.

“I would hope we could collaborate We are desperate for a new venue, if we could pick up and move then we would but we don’t have the finance. Working together with the Council on this could benefit everyone involved.”

But the report also has its critics.

Liberal Democrat group deputy leader, Councillor David Ward, said: “I find it very hard to understand why a pool has been proposed for Bingley, there is one in Keighley and Shipley and I just don’t think it is justified.

“It seems a political decision because Bingley is a Conservative stronghold and the executive is obviously Conservative.

“I do think if Richard Dunn was closed a South Bradford pool would cater for its users.

“We do already have an ice rink and we cannot justify having two in Bradford.

“I would not be in favour of opening a new one and closing the Ice Arena if the arena’s management was not involved with it. I think an Olympic pool would be ideal but you have to look at the economics. It wouldn’t be viable for the Council to do that without external funding.”

Labour group leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said: “We wouldn’t wish to close any pools before they were replaced.

“It’s about time the executive agreed with our view that there should be a central Bradford swimming pool.

“It’s a lame attempt to meet the promises they have already made.

“A 50-metre pool might have been more sensible. We need these facilities for professional and leisure swimmers in the area.”