Leisure centre with OIympic-sized swimming pool planned for Smethwick

Sandwell Council bosses have revealed plans for the centre as they said investment was badly needed in leisure facilities in the town.

A public consultation has been launched on the plans. New leisure centres have been built across the borough in recent years, but Smethwick has missed out on investment.

The council's leisure boss Richard Marshall, who is also a Smethwick councillor, said the plans were at an early stage. He said several potential sites had been identified.

Smethwick is currently home to the Harry Mitchell Leisure Centre, Thimblemill Baths and Hadley Stadium.

It is not yet known how much the new centre would cost but the council has held tentative discussions with Sport England over funding.

Leisure facilities in the south of the borough were criticised in an independent report last year and Councillor Marshall said a new building would be a much-needed boost.

He said: "We are asking people if they are happy with the centres they have got and we will take it from there.

"We have got three centres in that area and they are really old and run-down. Smethwick is the only town in the whole of Sandwell which hasn't had a new leisure centre.

"They are some of the oldest properties and we are looking for ways to stop losing money. There is a need for investment, without a shadow of a doubt."

Calls were made for investment in crumbling swimming pools and leisure centres in the south of Sandwell following an inspection of the buildings.

Thimblemill Baths and Harry Mitchell Leisure Centre were both rated as 'poor' after an independent consultant was brought in to assess the condition of the buildings.

The findings led to suggestions that areas such as Smethwick and Oldbury had been left behind compared to other parts of the borough.

Millions of pounds have been spent on providing state-of-the-art facilities for Tipton, West Bromwich and Wednesbury over the last few years.

Councillor Paul Sandars, chair of the select committee for leisure provision, said: "The committee is consulting with residents to seek their views on how best we can provide better, value-for-money leisure services for them in future."

The consultation is due to run for another four weeks and can be viewed at www.sandwell.gov.uk/leisureconsultation