Club vow to save Coseley baths
A long-established Black Country swimming club has vowed to "fight to the end" to save Coseley Baths after being faced with nowhere to train for the second time in four years.
A long-established Black Country swimming club has vowed to "fight to the end" to save Coseley Baths after being faced with nowhere to train for the second time in four years.
The Brierley Hill Amateur Swimming Club lost its original headquarters when Brierley Hill baths shut in 2005.
Members now meet three times a week at the Coseley pool in Pear Tree Lane, but have been told the sessions will have to transfer when the pool closes later this year.
The club were among those who gathered to protest today. They met outside the pool in order to show their anger at Dudley Council's decision to close it.
First established in 1962, BHASC has more than 300 members. It holds sessions in Coseley, as well as at Dudley Leisure Centre in Wellington Road.
The club previously met at Brierley Hill baths in Cottage Street but it was closed in 2005, because the council could not afford the cost of extensive repairs.
Now Coseley baths is faced with the same fate, after Dudley Council decided to shut the pool because it is in need of £2 million of repairs.
But club treasurer Phil Steven insists members have vowed to keep on swimming no matter what.
He said: "We are in talks with the council about transferring our sessions to Dudley, Stourbridge and Halesowen.
"It is not ideal but the club will continue whatever happens and if that is the only way to do it, then so be it."
Club members would rather continue to use Coseley baths for their practice swims.
Mr Steven said: "Coseley baths is perfect for us really as it is bigger than the pools in Dudley and Halesowen.
"The water quality is better too and we have more space to train.
"It comes as no surprise that the baths are in such a bad state because as far as I can see, the council has invested no money in the pool – but we will still fight to the end to keep it open."
The club is supporting the Save Coseley Baths campaign that has been started by residents.
They are exploring the possibility of paying an engineer to do their own survey of the facility.
Campaigner Brian Guest said: "We have no doubt the baths are in urgent need of repair but we are questioning the costs of these repairs."
