Vacant Bath school should reopen to vocational education

Ms Romero also called on the council to reopen the swimming pool on the site

Education should be brought back to a school that has been vacant for five years, a councillor has said.

Bath and North East Somerset councillor Dine Romero also called for plans to reopen a swimming pool at the former Culverhay School in Bath.

She said Bath College was looking at bringing vocational education to the site.

Ms Romero said: "We know that the current, mostly academic, educational offer is not right for every child."

The councillor told Bath and North East Somerset's cabinet on Thursday that she wanted the council to make a "commitment" to reopening the site, which was renamed Bath Community Academy in its final years.

"We also know that we need to build up a skilled workforce for the future. In particular in Green and renewable industries," she said.

"So I hope you will work with Bath College to see all of these ambitions come true and to bring vocational education to Culverhay."

Ms Romero also called on the council to reopen the swimming pool on the site, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Although dry sports facilities have been brought back into use as Culverhay Leisure Centre, the swimming pool remains closed.

Ms Romero said: "The city centre pool and the one in Keynsham are not near enough to be a viable choice for many local families on low incomes or for older people and so now, with Culverhay shut, they no longer go swimming at all."

Council leader Kevin Guy responded: "Thank you for restating our Lib Dem commitment to bringing education back to the Culverhay site."

Bath College has been contacted for comment.

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