In the swim for initiative

Letter: Some months ago, you had an excellent article on the huge response by Black Country residents to a programme offered by some pools of free swimming lessons.

This was a great initiative for several reasons - it encouraged people to acquire a very useful skill, it promoted exercise (so badly needed) and it provided the opportunity for activity for a lot of young people (the report said many young people attended) who may otherwise have been at a loose end.

From every perspective this was a very valuable initiative and one which obviously should be widespread in the region. Swimming pools in the Black Country should be a core business of all councils.

It has therefore been beyond belief that Dudley Council should want to close Coseley Baths and over the past months has blindly gone down that road despite widespread public opposition.

This is very short-sighted. There may well be another pool opening next year but this is two miles away. Is the council trying to promote more car use? There should be room for both pools.

In my nine months in the Black Country I am forming the opinion that in many cases, local government and local councillors do not serve their communities well.

Coseley Baths are a community asset for the benefit of the community and should have a prior claim on council funds to be maintained and remain open before any funds are spent on a another swimming pool.

Russell Armitage, Manor House Close, Walsall.