Walsall multi-million pound leisure centres given go-ahead

Council bosses put their concerns for the health of residents above their worries over the price of providing the facilities.

Members of Walsall Council's cabinet last night voted to completely rebuild the existing swimming pool and gyms at Oak Park in Walsall Wood, and at High Street in Bloxwich.

Councillor Ian Shires said: "Anything less would have short-changed the people of Walsall."

There had been fears that one or both new centres would have to be scaled back after the cost of the combined works soared by £3million to £24m.

Other options had been put forward to build a new leisure centre at Oak Park but only carry out a £2m refurbishment at Bloxwich; build a new leisure centre at Oak Park and just conduct a feasibility study into the Bloxwich site, or to build smaller leisure centres at both locations.

The council wants to replace dated facilities in order to tackle the borough's obesity problem. It was originally expected to cost a total of between £15m and £21m.

Councillor Anthony Harris, cabinet member for leisure, said the cost should be set against that of spiralling ill health in the borough.

"This is a long-term investment into health improvements in Walsall. I want to keep people out of hospital.

"The longer we wait the more expensive it gets. This decision is outside of politics as far as I'm concerned.

"We have suffered major cutbacks all over the place. There comes a time when a line has to be drawn and I believe this project is the one. It's time we cut the turf and got them on the road."

Designs for the new Oak Park centre include an eight-lane swimming pool while Bloxwich would get a six-lane, 25 metre pool.