Nine swimming pools and sports centres are to close in a major shake up of council-owned leisure facilities in Birmingham, with six new centres to be built in the city.
One of the centres to close is Moseley Road Swimming Baths, in Balsall Heath. A has fought for the Grade II* listed Edwardian building to be saved.
Brand new pools or leisure centres are to be built at Sparkhill, Erdington, Ickneild Port Loop, Northfield, Shard End and Stechford Cascades at a cost of £36m.
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These six, along with existing pools at Wyndley in Sutton Coldfield, Beeches in Great Barr, Fox Hollies in Yardley and Cocks Moors Woods in Kings Heath, will be
The nine centres set to close are Newtown Pool, Colmers Leisure Centre, in Longbridge, Erdington Leisure Centre, Moseley Road Baths in Balsall Heath, Northfield Pool, Shard End leisure centre, Stechford Cascades and Tiverton Pool in Selly Oak.
Five existing council-run centres in Handsworth, Kingstanding, Nechells, Saltley and Small Heath will become health and wellbeing centres backed by NHS funding using fitness as a means of preventing obesity, heart disease and promoting healthy lifestyles in some of the most deprived parts of the city.
Council leader Sir Albert Bore said leisure services were running £6.8 million over budget and a radical overhaul was needed.
He said: “This is about the transformation of leisure services for the next 20 years. There is a £36 million investment in new leisure centres and swimming pools across the city.”
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The £12 million Harborne Swimming Pool, run by DC Leisure on a 15-year lease, is seen as the model for privately-run operations to be run under council controls.
Coun Bore stressed, wherever possible, that existing facilities would remain open until the new buildings were complete - unless they deteriorated beyond repair. The new centres are expected to be open by April, 2017.
Moseley Road Baths is expected to close by September, 2015, when the new Sparkhill Pool is opened.
Council deputy leader Ian Ward said it would take the entire cost of the six new pools to fully restore the Moseley Road facility. “We can’t invest in one facility and leave the rest to fall down.”
He stressed the authority would explore other uses for the building.
Former Lib Dem councillor and Moseley Roads Baths campaigner Martin Mullaney accused the council of going back on earlier pledges to restore the pool.
He tweeted: “Labour’s election promise to make Moseley Road Baths a priority is broken.”