Coseley baths are earmarked for closure and demolition shortly after the end of August.
Coseley is a low income working class area and the baths are the centre piece of the community and have been so since the opening in 1963. The pool was originally built to help reduce the number of drownings in the local pools and canals.
The local residents are passionate about keeping their well attended leisure facilities open and hundreds have rallied to try to do so. They do not feel that they have been afforded the opportunity of putting their case forward and that this closure is a fait accompli.
The baths have not been properly maintained for several years by Dudley MBC spend over the last 10 years vs another local pool =Coseley -£118,400, Crystal Leisure - £6,938,200.00. Crystal leisure built in 1988 (FOI information)
Dudley Council has known that the roof needed repairs since 2006 when they did a survey on the building. Although the situation has been monitored, nothing has been done to repair the roof or to find a source of funding
Dudley Council has not discussed the closure with our local councillors – Melvyn Mottram, Sue Ridney or George Davis. They are closing the baths on Health & Safety grounds. No vote has been taken by Councillors, it was decided by the cabinet.
Dudley Council did have one meeting with 4-5 committee people. We have requested a 2 ½ hour one-to one meeting on Coseley Baths which they refused.They have refused to let us see their estimates of the repairs.We have tried to negotiate with them, but they are not interested.
There were funds available for Coseley Baths from Sports England through the Free Swimming Modernisation Programme and the Council did not apply for us last year. This year they are claiming the funds for other Leisure Centres.
We did have had a private survey done. Even though he does agree that the roof does need replacing, he doesn’t understand where the date of 31st August has come from - He felt is was political decision purely on economics
The council has recommended that locals use another facility at Bilston under another borough of Wolverhampton. This is a small pool and is restrictive in terms of numbers and opening times. There is a new facility planned by Wolverhampton but this will not be ready for at least 18 months. The other pool in Dudley has been so busy it has turned people away directing them to Coseley.
The pool serves 6 schools, scuba diving club, special school several swimming clubs and many other activities are provided (Yoga, Weight Watchers, etc..) The schools and scuba diving are moving to Tipton Pool which is in a different borough again Sandwell.
One of the swimming clubs Brierley Hill Swimming http://www.bh-asc.co.uk/club_news.htm has been forced to close already it was moved by Dudley MBC from it's original home in Brierley Hill pool due to it's closure 4 years ago and this second move made their continued operation unfeasible as the allocation was not adequate in terms of metergage to meet their training needs. This is a sad loss as the club has been sucessfully operating since 1963.
The Dudley Primary Care Trust (PCT) operating plan is focused around tackling the lifestyle associated illnesses that are prevalent in this area and also a high focus on tackling the obesity problem and weight management paths for children.
Sandwell PCT are a spearhead PCT which means the health needs of the population are higher than the average PCT.
Dudley council have a responsiblity to improve the health and well-being of local people through joint working with health services.
So why ;
Are they not working more closely with their PCT as part of their responsibility to the community ?
Why have they not conducted a health imnpact assessment as was the case with Brierley Hill baths shut 4 years ago by Dudley MBC
Why are they not listening to the community who want to look at alternatives to get the funding e.g. Lobbying, charitable trust. They just seem set on closure and demolition shortly afterwards costing a 6 figure sum.
Why have Dudley MBC not afforded Coseley Baths the same level of maintenance support lavished upon Crystal Leisure in Stourbridge over the last few years, and instead have let the building get to this state of disrepair? How can they now get away with just closing the baths.
Why are Dudley closing yet another pool in such a short time frame when they clearly do not have the existing capacity to cope with local demands as they are reffering swimmers to pools outside their borough ?
In the run up to the Olympics and the publicity to get children more actively involved in sport with the aim of one day being a part of it. Why are the Coseley and Brierley Hill children from this challenging socio economic region being denied their chance ?
Why are Dudley MBC potentially adding to the difficulties faced by the neighbouring Sandwell Borough containing a spearhead PCT, by taking up their much needed leisure facility slots ? Another example of not engaging in joint working with local health services ?
If this closure is a cost cutting exercise, then it is clearly demonstrating short tem planning and thinking. A short term monetary gain in the sale of the land a more significant loss now and in the longer term to the health and well being of the population and users of Coseley baths.
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