Cautious welcome for Budget funds to reopen Bingley swimming pool

The pool was shut in 2020 due to structural issues

A council has welcomed Levelling Up funding to reopen a swimming pool, but called for more detail on how the news could affect its financial recovery.

It is hoped the money, announced in Wednesday's Budget, will revive plans to improve Bingley swimming pool, which was shut in 2020.

Bradford Council said the "sudden" news came when it was in the middle of plans to cut £1.2m from its pools budget.

It said it looked forward to meeting the government to discuss next steps.

Funding of £14m was announced by the chancellor following a bid by Bradford Council for Levelling Up money for the town.

Dubbed Revitalising Bingley, the plan focuses on new leisure facilities, an improved pool in the current building which was shut due to structural issues, and improvements to the market square.

The bid was initially refused by the government last January.

Last week the Labour-run council was given a government emergency funding boost of £220m to avoid it effectively going bankrupt.

The authority said following that it would be "undertaking a full review of all capital spending projects" to ensure it returned to "financial sustainability".

Jacob Young, Minister for Levelling Up, was joined by MP Philip Davies and councillor Alex Ross-Shaw in a visit to the pool to discuss the funds

In respect of the funding for Bingley, the authority said it needed to speak to the government about how it "affects the council's planned financial recovery strategy".

A recent review of council leisure facilities showed the gym, which remains open in the building, brought in £38,000 of income in 2022/23, but maintaining the building cost £365,000.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw said the £14m could only be used for the Bingley plans and could not fund other services.

He said the "sudden announcement" had come when the council was "in the middle of a budget process that proposes to cut £1.2m from our pools budget".

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Ross-Shaw said: "Pools are notorious for revenue costs. This is a capital project that we've been given funding for and we've raised that with the minister and we'll have those constructive discussions with them.

"We're passionate about Bingley and we'll look at various different operating models to see how we can make this work for the people of Bingley."

The swimming pool has been closed since 2020

He said it was "very early days" to know exactly how the long-term running of the pool would work but said the authority would continue conversations with the Friends of Bingley Pool, which has campaigned to take over the running of the pool in the past.

A statement on the Friends of Bingley Pool's Facebook page said: "This decision makes clear that the rejection of the Bingley levelling-up bid in 2023 was not because of poor quality. The refurbishment of the pool is a viable project with a clear business case and tangible community benefits.

"Bradford, along with other local authorities, remains in financial difficulty. Capital funding might be available, but the long-term future of the pool is still in doubt.

"Despite these caveats, this is undoubtedly a good moment for Bingley."

'Absolutely elated'

Conservative MP for Shipley, Philip Davies, said he was "delighted" Bingley had benefited from the Budget and the money would not be used for "any other purpose".

He said the pool was "a really important facility in the town" and that he was "absolutely elated that Bingley is going to get a brand new, spanking swimming pool".

He said: "I don't think the other problems with the council's finances should negatively affect people in Bingley

"What I would like to see once it's open, is for it to be transferred to the Friends of Bingley Pool for them to run it rather than Bradford Council.

"So it's a pool for Bingley, run by people in Bingley. That's the ideal scenario."