Sandwell Council commits £30 million to Birmingham Commonwealth Games bid

Senior council officials met at the end of last week to hammer out details of its financial support for the bid – and hit back at criticism from rivals in Liverpool over a planned aquatics centre.

Councillor Richard Marshall, leisure boss at the local authority, was stung by remarks from rivals Liverpool that Birmingham organisers had not been able to name the location of its swimming centre.

The complex would be built in one of two locations in Smethwick.

One site is favoured but Councillor Marshall said it would not be a problem if they needed to switch to the other option.

The state-of-the art centre would feature 1,000 poolside seats for spectators, while another 4,000 would be drafted in especially for the games.

Councillor Marshall said: “There is site A and site B.

“We are pushing for site A but if push comes to shove we will go for site B.”

He added: “Liverpool have been making a big thing that we can’t even name our swimming facility but we have committed the best part of £30m to Birmingham to supply the aquatics centre.

“Liverpool can say what they like – we have got a good bid between the two councils.”

Councillor Marshall said the money for supporting the bid would come from a ‘variety of sources’, including from the council.

He said he hoped Birmingham and Sandwell officials had done enough to be put forward as the UK host for the 2022 Games.

“We have put a very good proposal together,” he said.

“Birmingham and the wider region hasn’t had it before. Manchester and the North West has. The North West gets a lot of stuff."

The Express & Star revealed back in June that Sandwell Council had agreed to join Birmingham’s bid for the Commonwealth Games.

The borough would host all swimming and diving events and would see some of the biggest sports stars in the world arrive for the competition.