‘Bland’ £8m pool to replace old centre after health scare
PLANS for a new £8 million Northfield swimming pool were set to be approved by city planners this week despite criticism that the design was bland.
The state-of-the-art leisure centre is due to be built on the site of the existing facility and is the latest of six being built or rebuilt across the city as part of a £36 million investment.
The current pool was closed in June, two months earlier than planned after the water became infected due to human waste and council bosses decided it was not worth spending £100,000 to decontaminate the water.
Now city planning officers have recommended plans for its replacement building be approved when the council’s planning committee meets this week.
Leisure watchdog Sport England is also backing the scheme. Commenting on the plans it said: “The proposal to erect a new leisure centre on the site of an ageing swimming pool will enhance sports provision in the city and as such accords with our objectives.
“Sport England considers this proposal addresses a need for this facility and has the potential to be of ben- efit to the development of swimming and sports activity in Northfield.”
Sport England also provided a grant towards Birmingham’s £36 million investment in pools.
However, some users complained about the bland design of the pool on a main gateway route into Northfield while others wanted the existing building’s façade retained.
Almost 170 users also signed a petition objecting to the loss of a sauna and asked for one to be provided in the new centre.
The city’s older leisure centres are costly to run, struggle to offer good access for disabled people, lack modern facilities, and have inefficient heating systems, claims the council.
The pool is one of four, alongside Erdington, Stechford Cascades and Icknield Port Loop, being built by Serco, which recently won the contract to run city leisure centres over the next 15 years. Building work on Erdington pool started in July.
Two more Birmingham pools, at Sparkhill and Shard End are being rebuilt under different contracts.