Pool where deadly bacteria found to be demolished

Blackburn with Darwen Council was said to be pressing ahead with plans to knock the leisure complex down

A council is said to be pressing ahead with plans to demolish a swimming pool after it was controversially closed in August 2023.

That was despite more than 30 supporters turning up to a meeting where Shelley Whitehead from HALF Fish, which had operated the Daisyfield Pools complex in Blackburn since 2016, pleaded for it to be reprieved.

Its closure last year came after the discovery of legionella bacteria at the 118-year-old building.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has now authorised the tender process to find a contractor to flatten it but promised to look at building a "replacement pool" in the future.

The decision to knock down the building followed a consultation on the swimming provision in the area.

Initially, the closure of the pools led to a petition by local residents calling on Blackburn with Darwen Council to address condition of the building and fund repairs.

But in February, the authority’s finance council meeting approved the knocking down of Daisyfield Pools and the redundant Shadsworth Leisure Centre and allocated a budget of £1.5m to cover the demolition costs for both.

Now Blackburn with Darwen council’s growth programme director Simon Jones has authorised the tender process to find a contractor to flatten the two buildings.

The authority’s Conservative group leader councillor John Slater, who opposed the shutting of Daisyfield Pools at the executive board meeting, said: “This is sad.

“The Daisyfield Pools closure should not have happened.

“The council is just selling off all its assets to keep itself financially afloat. It does not care about the people of Blackburn.”

The authority’s health boss councillor Damian Talbot said: “Repairing Daisyfield Pools at a cost of £3.1million was not financially viable. The building is more than 100 years old.

“As we promised, the council is working with Sport England to look at building a replacement pool which we will do if we can produce a viable business plan to get the grants needed."