Council to Account on Blaenavon Swimming Pool

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 20th Sep 2007

An Assembly committee is demanding that Torfaen Council comes clean on the business case for their plans for the Blaenavon swimming pool site.

The plans would lead to the closure of the popular pool. Local Welsh Lib Dem AM Mike German today took the fight for Blaenavon Swimming Pool to the National Assembly's Petitions Committee. Mike successfully led calls for Torfaen Council to come before the committee.

Mr German said: "I received the petition from the Blaenavon campaigners at the Assembly earlier this year. The BLAST action group collected upwards of 2,500 signatures over a couple of days, such is the strength of feeling locally.

"People in Blaenavon want to be able to use the local swimming pool, and they are concerned that the Council has closed it without listening to them.

"The Council told the campaigners they expected Heads of the Valleys money to fund their plans to develop the Blaenavon site. In a letter to me, the Minister stated there were no such plans.

"Since the council aren't listening to the campaigners, they are appealing to the Assembly to keep their swimming pool open. The Committee supported my recommendation that Torfaen Council should be called upon to outline their business case for redeveloping the site. I look forward to hearing what they have to say for themselves."

Committee also agreed that they would like to hear evidence from campaigners, once they have met council chiefs.

Notes/Nodiadau:

BLAST is the Blaenavon Leisure and Swimming Troubleshooters campaign group, set up in response to the closure of the swimming pool. Mr German accepted their petition on behalf of the Committee earlier this year and has been working with the group to keep leisure facilities in Blaenavon open.