PEOPLE in Eccleshill “don’t feel like they are a priority” as swim sessions at the local pool have still not restarted – well over a year after they were cancelled.

The swim for all sessions at the pool, which allow young people to go swimming without an adult, were halted in Summer 2022 after a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour.

At the time the move was said to be a temporary one, but the sessions have yet to be restored.

At a meeting of Bradford Council this week Eccleshill Councillor Brandan Stubbs said there was “no reason in the world” why the issue could not have been sorted yet.

He also questioned claims that the Council viewed restoring the sessions as a “high priority.”

Cllr Stubbs, also leader of the Liberal Democrats in Bradford, raised the issue in July, when Council bosses told him an IT issue was preventing the sessions from re-starting.

He was told during a Council meeting the issue should be resolved in time to allow sessions to resume over Summer.

At a meeting of the Council on Tuesday Cllr Stubbs raised the issue again – pointing out there had still been no movement.

In a question to Council bosses Cllr Stubbs said: “At the meeting of Council in July you assured me that you ‘do not want the young people of Eccleshill to miss out on swimming.’ “We are now more than three months on from that meeting and still the promised ‘Swim for All’ sessions have not been restored.

“In follow up emails you claimed August 1 would see the start of a Tuesday evening session, this was replaced a week later by ‘There are still a few technical aspects and procedures to be signed off’ and ‘the facilities team are doing there upmost to re-introduce these sessions.’

"Parents, young people and I are concerned that this matter is not treated with the upmost urgency, and we cannot see how it is so difficult to provide local children with ‘swim for all’ sessions that continue at all the district’s other swimming pools.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Councillor Brendan Stubbs outside Eccleshill PoolCouncillor Brendan Stubbs outside Eccleshill Pool (Image: newsquest)

“Our young people have been treated very poorly by the Council and this must be resolved now.

“Please can you provide an honest and firm date for the Tuesday ‘Swim for all’ session to be restored and the timetable for when all the remaining ‘Swim for all’ session at Eccleshill Pool to be restored?”

The response, from Cllr Ferriby, said: “I have to say that I share the concerns regarding the lack of sessions for unaccompanied young people.

“Just to clarify, young people have always been able to swim at Eccleshill as part of a family group.

“The issue first arose when staff and other customers at Eccleshill Pool were treated very badly by some unaccompanied young people at the pool.

“Our staff have the right to work safely, and customers need to feel safe too. We cannot reintroduce this session until people are satisfied that we have everything in place.

“There have been many things put in place, including training, new procedures, the introduction of new body cameras, and new CCTV.

“There are still one or two issues outstanding, and that is mainly the online booking where we have been let down by system suppliers.

“The reintroduction of swim for all is a high priority. We will provide a date as soon as possible.”

In response to this answer, Cllr Stubbs said: “It doesn’t feel like this is a high priority to the people who live in Eccleshill, and the children who have not been able to access swimming for over a year without a parent with them.

“It has been over a year since a minority of young people led to the end of the swim for all sessions, and there is no reason in the world why we should still be waiting for databases to be set up or training to have taken place. This should have all been done by now.

“Parents are having to pay extra to go swimming with their children, or to pay for them to get on a bus to go swimming somewhere else.

“Can you please make sure we have a date when the swim for all sessions will resume?”

Cllr Ferriby responded: “I’m really disappointed too, but I’m sure you can understand that we have to look at the safety of those going swimming and members of staff.

“I’m pushing hard to make sure officers get the database in place, we’ve been let down by some IT.”

After the meeting Cllr Stubbs told the Telegraph & Argus he planned to raise the issue at a meeting with new Chief Executive Lorraine O’Donnel on Monday.