Closure threat hangs over Walsall water sports centre

The Outdoor Adventure Service which supported up to 5,000 people last year is to be scrapped under latest plans unveiled by Walsall Council.

It currently runs the Sneyd Water Activities Centre and the Aldridge Airport Outdoor Activities Centre, with a focus on providing outdoor adventure for children and young people with disabilities.

Walsall Council say the likely impact of removing the subsidy it provides to run the facilities is the closure of Sneyd Watersports Centre and a major reduction in outdoor adventure services and the loss of two jobs.The centre at Alridge would become a Behaviour Improvement Centre instead.

Schools will also need to seek alternative locations with provisional discussions having taken place over the use of Chasewater.

A report to the council said: "The provision of Outdoor Adventure is not a statutory function.

"The vast majority of the customers of the service are Walsall schools so closing the service will lead to schools having to find another provider.

"There are many alternative providers across the West Midlands; however securing the level of disability specialism provided by the current service will be difficult.

"A particular issue will be the cost of replacement provision – the current service has evolved to principally service disabled young people, which requires significant investment in equipment and a far higher staff:

It adds: "The construction of the Aldridge Airport Centre was 100 per cent funded by the National Lottery (New Opportunities Fund); it was completed in 2007 at a cost of £1 million.

"The grant agreement suggests that refocusing the centre as a Behaviour Improvement Centre will not trigger any repayment of the grant."

Councillor Khizar Hussain, portfolio holder for community, leisure and culture, said: "It is well documented that the council needs to save £86 million over the next four years and difficult decisions will have to be taken.

"Currently the amount spent by the council on the outdoor education service is significantly higher than the level of income it generates and in light of the current financial climate we need to look at ways of reducing this deficit.

"A number of options have already started to be explored by officers to ensure schools can continue to access provision through an alternative provider.

"At the moment it is too early to say what the outcome of these discussions will be although as documented in the budget proposals the closure of Sneyd Watersports Centre and a reduction in activities available at Aldridge Outdoor Education Centre is a possibility."

Bosses at the cash strapped council want to make savings of £29.2 million next year, with 487 jobs set to be axed between April 2015 and March 2017 and have already announced plans to only collect bins once a fortnight.

Some of the main routes in the area will be swept just once a month.