THE MULTI-million pound Millennium Dome being built in London could have a smaller version in Ilkley if recreation bosses co-operated with private investors, says an Ilkley councillor.

Bradford officials need to accept the idea of partnerships with outside business instead of wringing their hands about lack of cash to develop Ilkley's outdoor swimming pool into an indoor leisure complex, he says.

Ilkley district councillor Martin Smith has suggested covering up the open air swimming pool with a huge dome to extend the bathing season by months.

The project, including an upgrading of the indoor pool and other facilities, would cost about £500,000 - money which Bradford leisure bosses don't have.

But Coun Smith said the project could attract private finance but the local authority was reluctant to co-operate with commercial enterprises.

Partnership

"I have suggested we ought to be looking for a commercial partnership. Parternships are successful but it takes a while to change the culture," said Coun Smith.

An Ilkley swimming pool dome would make the already financially successful open air pool more of a money spinner for Bradford's recreation budget.

Ilkley Parish Clerk Miggy Bailey said: "Enclosing it would be marvellous. It is already well used and would be much more so."

Parish councillors in Ilkley have already written to the local authority after a resident suggested transforming the pool into a health and fitness centre using a Lottery bid to try and finance the upgrading programme.

But swimming pool bosses have been slammed for restrictive opening hours during the winter when health-conscious adults want to use the indoor pool.

One pool user, Fiona Buckley, said that a one hour period of general swimming on a Saturday had been swallowed up by an extended fun-splash session for children.

Miss Buckley, of North Parade, Ilkley, said: "As the weeks go by they are reducing it more and more - it is just very annoying."

Criticism

Parish Council chairman Audrey Brand criticised the move and said that members wanted more opening hours for working adults, not fewer.

Mrs Bailey said: "In winter it is closed on Sunday afternoon when I would have thought people would want to use it."

Councillors will discuss the plans for the swimming pool and its opening hours at a meeting of the Finance and General Purposes Committee on Monday.

Bradford's recreation division director Jim Mackay said changes to the pool programme on a Saturday were made in response to demand from the people using it and a need to clear a waiting list of people wanting to learn to swim. Extending that period meant having to rationalise the rest of the day's programme.

He said that swimming times were geared towards a balanced programme in order to meet a wide variety of community needs and there had been no reduction in the total number of hours the pool was open.

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