Latest news with #FriendsofBingleyPool
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Petition to save Bingley Pool hits 2,500 mark
A petition calling for a swimming pool to be saved from closure has reached more than 2,500 signatures as campaigners try to halt its Friends of Bingley Pool launched their petition earlier this month amid fears Bradford Council was considering selling the site, which is currently closed and in need of Thackray, co-chair of the Friends of Bingley Pool, said they believed the pool still had a promising Thackray said: "Bradford Council has done the numbers and this is a viable pool. It did submit a Levelling Up bid, and they wouldn't have done that if they thought this pool was going to just bleed money from their systems and not be able to pay for itself." The pool had been in line for a portion of £14m Levelling Up cash awarded to Bradford Council under the previous Conservative following Labour's general election victory last year, all applications to the Towns Fund that had reached a certain stage were reassessed, and it was later confirmed that Bingley's bid had been rejected. Bingley Pool was closed in 2020 during the Covid pandemic but was never reopened. That same year, the building fell into disrepair and plaster started to fall from the ceiling, according to Mr damage meant Bradford Council felt it was "no longer in a position to hand over the building to a community group for operation without knowing it was structurally sound", he said."There is an upfront capital bill for repairs and renovation that has to be met and very few community groups would be in a position to scrub up that sort of money," he explained."The option we were talking about with Bradford previously was that you would go into partnership with a private provider to try to come to an agreement whereby you were still offering access to the pool." 'Schools paying more' Mr Thackley said the pool's closure meant local schools were struggling to fulfil their statutory requirement to provide swimming said: "We have been in touch with all of the schools in Bingley recently to reaffirm their position on this and they are paying much more now. "They have to get transport out to Shipley to do their lessons. As a result, Shipley is at the point of being oversubscribed now as well. "They're either having to do that or they're getting in temporary kind of splash paddling pool type things at the schools themselves."Speaking earlier this month, a Bradford Council spokesperson said the authority was considering the next steps for the site and it would keep the Friends of Bingley Pool group Council has been approached for further comment. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council urged to reveal plans for Bingley Pool
Campaigners on a mission to save their local pool have demanded that Bradford Council "comes clean" over its plans for the historic building. The pool had been in line for a portion of the £14m Levelling Up cash awarded to the council last March (2024), under the previous Conservative government. But in August last year, the new Labour government announced it was reassessing all applications to the Towns Fund which had reached a certain stage, and it has since confirmed Bingley's bid was rejected. Bradford Council said it was "considering the next steps for the site" and will keep the Friends of Bingley Pool (FoBP) informed, but campaigners are demanding more clarity. Jeremy Thackray has been co-chair of the FoBP for two years. He said: "We really just want the council to come clean - [to] go down the list of options and say this is why it can, or cannot, do them. "Then at least we all known where we stand. "The danger, as we see it, is the assumption that the pool is past its best, and it would be best selling it. " We know it's been on the council's selling list before, but we don't think all the other options have been ticked off just yet. "We don't just want to leave it to an assumption that it will be sold." Mr Thackray said the group, which was originally set up with the aim of taking over and running the pool, had had to change the emphasis of its campaign. He said campaigners were looking at examples of community-owned facilities such as Moseley Road Baths in Birmingham and Bramley Baths in nearby Leeds. He said: "Over at Bramley Baths, they did a community share offer which raised hundreds of thousands of pounds. "They've also, using that funding, unlocked Heritage Lottery funding as well. "Those two sources are bringing in over a million pounds." Mr Thackray said understanding the council's plans for Bingley pool would allow campaigners to react accordingly. He said: "We'll be ready to move on from this when we've explored every opportunity there is to keep it in public hands. "Until that point, we'll keep on fighting." A Bradford Council spokesperson said: "We know residents and the Friends of Bingley Pool group campaigned very hard to save the pool and still care deeply about the issue. "We're considering the next steps for the site and will keep the Friends' group informed. "We're continuing to make the case to government for investment into Bingley as a priority more generally." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Swimming pool awarded £600,000 regeneration boost Campaigners call to keep pool in public hands Campaigners pledge to fight for pool's future
BBC News
02-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Bradford Council urged to reveal future plans for Bingley Pool
Campaigners on a mission to save their local pool have demanded that Bradford Council "comes clean" over its plans for the historic building. The pool had been in line for a portion of the £14m Levelling Up cash awarded to the council last March (2024), under the previous Conservative in August last year, the new Labour government announced it was reassessing all applications to the Towns Fund which had reached a certain stage, and it has since confirmed Bingley's bid was Council said it was "considering the next steps for the site" and will keep the Friends of Bingley Pool (FoBP) informed, but campaigners are demanding more clarity. Jeremy Thackray has been co-chair of the FoBP for two years. He said: "We really just want the council to come clean - [to] go down the list of options and say this is why it can, or cannot, do them."Then at least we all known where we stand."The danger, as we see it, is the assumption that the pool is past its best, and it would be best selling it." We know it's been on the council's selling list before, but we don't think all the other options have been ticked off just yet."We don't just want to leave it to an assumption that it will be sold." Mr Thackray said the group, which was originally set up with the aim of taking over and running the pool, had had to change the emphasis of its said campaigners were looking at examples of community-owned facilities such as Moseley Road Baths in Birmingham and Bramley Baths in nearby Leeds. He said: "Over at Bramley Baths, they did a community share offer which raised hundreds of thousands of pounds."They've also, using that funding, unlocked Heritage Lottery funding as well. "Those two sources are bringing in over a million pounds." Mr Thackray said understanding the council's plans for Bingley pool would allow campaigners to react said: "We'll be ready to move on from this when we've explored every opportunity there is to keep it in public hands."Until that point, we'll keep on fighting."A Bradford Council spokesperson said: "We know residents and the Friends of Bingley Pool group campaigned very hard to save the pool and still care deeply about the issue. "We're considering the next steps for the site and will keep the Friends' group informed. "We're continuing to make the case to government for investment into Bingley as a priority more generally."Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
