Public swimming pool to go on the market

A new proposal has been set out by a campaign group

Bradford Council has confirmed it plans to sell Bingley Pool - five years after it closed.

The pool, which was shut during the coronavirus pandemic, had been earmarked for a multimillion-pound refurbishment and reopening.

But last week a spokesperson for the cash-strapped local authority said it was "not viable" to keep it.

The pool will be sold as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), meaning any community group would have six months to put together a bid. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Friends of Bingley Pool group have said they intend to use this time to negotiate a Community Asset Transfer arrangement with the council.

Bingley Pool had been in line for a portion of £14m in Levelling Up Funding (LUF) under the previous Conservative government, but the new Labour government confirmed that Bingley's bid had been rejected.

The council spokesperson said subsequently an "extensive review" had taken place which concluded the facility was no longer viable.

They added: "It is important to note that even with the LUF money there was a significant funding gap and a requirement for a third-party operator to run the pool."

The council had already met with the Friends of Bingley Pool group to discuss the sale, the spokesperson said.

"We understand the strength of feeling in the local community on this issue, which is why we submitted the LUF application in the first place."

Jeremy Thackray, co-chair of the Friends of Bingley Pool, accused the council of "denying the huge demand for the pool to be reopened".

"The Friends recognise the difficulty of Bradford Council's finances. But the answer cannot be a continuous cut-price selloff of treasured community assets.

"A community-led approach can make something positive happen in the town, and the Friends of Bingley Pool will do all they can to argue for this."

According to the Friends of Bingley Pool group, under the terms of the Community Asset Transfer arrangement, the council would retain ownership of the pool building, but the Friends – and the people of Bingley – would drive the process of finding funding to restore the facility.

A full transfer of ownership would take place at a later date.

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