Bradford district's £41 million swimming pools shake-up moves a step closer

More than two-thirds of people who responded to a consultation on the proposals agreed with replacing the current provision in the district.

A report detailing the proposals to build four new sports facilities across Bradford - replacing existing ones in Odsal (Richard Dunn Sports Centre), Bowling, Queensbury and Bingley - will go before Bradford Council's executive next Tuesday.

The authority said the new, state-of-the-art centres - including one on Nelson Street in the city centre - will produce a saving of £17million over 25 years - when compared to the cost of keeping the existing four centres open and up to scratch.

It is recommended in the executive report that the Council starts a phased programme of investment in sports and leisure, beginning with a new city centre facility and a community pool in south Bradford.

Councillor Andrew Thornton, the Council's executive member for Environment and Sport, said: "As well as being more accessible, the proposed new facilities would be cheaper to maintain and run. Having modern and fit-for-purpose sporting facilities is important for enhancing the health and well-being of our local communities.

"We are keen to build new modern facilities for the Bradford district that local people can enjoy using to become fitter and more active. The existing facilities that will be replaced are insufficient to our needs, unsustainable and unaffordable.

COMMENT: DIFFICULT TO FIND FAULT WITH POOLS LOGIC

"The proposed investment also supports regeneration. Building new facilities will create jobs and benefit the local economy. Together with City Park and the Westfield development, a new sport and leisure complex within the city centre increases footfall, adding to a developing retail, leisure and culture mix."

The report going before the executive includes details about the cost of the scheme and the outcome of the public consultation carried out by the authority last year.

The proposed new pools are earmarked for Nelson Street in the city centre, Squire Lane for north Bradford, Sedbergh playing fields for south Bradford, and Asa Briggs Recreation Ground for south-west Bradford.

The Nelson Street and Sedbergh sites - which will cost £14.21million and £12.5million, respectively - will be built first, with an expected completion date of 2018, it has been revealed.

The other two sites - £7.43million for Squire Lane and £6.87million for Asa Briggs - will come once the first two are completed, as part of a phased programme.

Amenities at the proposed sites would include swimming pools with moveable floors, diving pools, gyms, dance studios, sports hall, and replacement football and rugby pitches.

Cllr Thornton said all four existing sites would remain open until a replacement had been built. The authority said money from the sale of the existing sites would contribute towards the cost of building the new facilities.

The executive report also reveals that 67 per cent of people who responded to the consultation were in favour of building the new pools. The Council added that 94 per cent of respondents said the authority should invest in its sport facilities.

Cllr Thornton also insisted that 95 per cent of people in Bradford district would be within a 20-minute drive of a swimming pool. Pools in Shipley, Keighley, Tong, Eccleshill and Ilkley would remain open.

A Council spokesman added: "Several of the Council's pools are outdated, poorly located to meet the needs of the district's residents and have a massive maintenance backlog."

Dr Jag Picknett, spokesman for the Save Bingley Pool group, said: "We will continue to work with them to see what we can do to keep Bingley Pool open.

Artist's impression of the proposed new city centre swimming pool for Bradford

"We are looking at funding feasibility studies and then having an open conversation with the leisure department.

"We wish Bradford good luck with the new pools. It is not that we don't want them to have new pools - we just quite want to keep our own, too."

Councillor John Pennington (Con, Bingley) warned that closing Richard Dunn would see a lot of people from Halifax go elsewhere to swim, rather than travelling further into Bradford for a new centre, and also said he doubted whether Bingley swimmers would simply go to Shipley pool instead.

He added: "It saddens me that they are going to close Bingley Pool.

"On a wider note, I wonder whether we can afford these new pools. Are we jumping in at the deep end in these tough economic times?"

Artist's impression of the proposed new community swimming pools for Bradford