Wolverhampton MP backs council move to close Tettenhall Pool
MP Stuart Anderson has welcomed a decision to close Wolverhampton's Tettenhall Pool for the rest of the year amid fears of crowds gathering.
Mr Anderson said he backed the plans to ensure people were safe amid fears over crowds gathering and ignoring the rules.
The Wolverhampton South West MP said: "The surrounding areas are starting to have spikes in cases and Wolverhampton is in the green area in the minute.
"We've all been doing an excellent job of keeping the cases down. Tettenhall Pool is loved by everyone – I love taking my family there, but I had a major concern over maintaining social distancing and preventing the spread of the virus.
"For those reasons I agree with the council's decision. It's an iconic pool and you might see 1,000 people there on a hot day – and I don't think we can ensure it will be safe.
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"As much as I would like to take the kids, we're still only just coming out of lockdown and need to ensure we're all safe."
It comes after the pool – situated in the heart of Tettenhall's Upper Green – was closed last year for repair works after a consultation on whether it should become an outdoor gym.
More than 95 per cent of the 3,796 responses to the public consultation rejected plans for the gym and decided to save Tettenhall Pool – which reopened on August 1 last year.
Councillor Steve Evans, cabinet member for city environment at Wolverhampton Council, said: "Protecting the health of our residents remains our priority and we’re working to do all we can to avoid local Covid-19 outbreaks in our city.
"We have taken advice from Public Health and assessed the risk. Unfortunately, as a result, the pool will remain closed this year.
"Given the challenges in managing numbers and compliance with social distancing at an open-air pool like Tettenhall, it’s vital that we remain cautious during the pandemic.
"Even though it might feel like we have entered a new phase, we need to stay alert – especially given Covid-19 flare ups in other areas nearby."
