£300,000 losses at baths says leader

A Black Country baths was losing more than £300,000 a year before closing last month, it was revealed today.

Dudley Council leader Councillor Anne Millward said it was costing them hundreds of thousands of pounds to keep the pool open.

She said the council was snubbed by private leisure centre owners who said the Pear Tree Lane pool was "unviable". The baths closed at the end of August. The council says the baths need £1 million of urgent repairs to make the roof safe and a further £1m of works to bring the building up to scratch.

Councillor Millward today said the council did not have the resources to keep the baths open - but reiterated that bids from any interested parties would be considered.

"If there is someone who has got the millions to bring it up to scratch and can then take a hit of more than £300,000 a year running the baths, I have said it before - we will speak to them," she said. "But Coseley was making losses of a third of a million each year.

"We have spoken to private providers, we did that before the decision was taken to close the pool. They just did not see Coseley as a viable enterprise."

Save Coseley Baths campaign spokesman Brian Guest said that it came as "no surprise" the baths were making a loss because the council had not shown the necessary commitment to the pool.

"I'm not surprised it was making that sort of loss because they reduced the staff and reduced the hours to such an extent it was not going to make money," he said.

"Everyone knows swimming pools don't make a profit and have to be subsidised but it is a service which should be kept for the community."

Campaign leaders are taking legal advice about the possibility of mounting a courtroom bid to prevent demolition. Mr Guest is due to hear from barristers in London early next week.