Craig’s Comments
The Proposed Halifax Leisure Centre
The proposed Halifax Leisure Centre will benefit everyone across Calderdale. The Labour-led Council have one shot at developing a facility fit for the future. They must get this right.
Many constituents have emailed me about the proposed inadequate pool depth. This is a tricky situation because the Halifax Leisure Centre is not located in the Calder Valley Constituency, and therefore it would be improper for me to get directly involved.
However, many of the constituents that I represent will be using the facility and therefore it is only right that I voice their concerns.
Just for background, there are complaints that the proposed Halifax Leisure Centre will not incorporate a deep enough pool for some synchronised swimming clubs, including national champions the Halifax Synchronised Swimming Club. The recently closed Halifax Swimming Pool is deep enough.
Simply put, the Halifax Synchronised Swimming Club, and other sub-aqua activities, will be left without a home.
This is unsatisfactory. The Labour-led Council have relentlessly ploughed capital to improve Halifax. But they seem satisfied with a budget paddling pool? Where is Labour’s ambition?
They have pulled all kinds of excuses out of the hat. From budget issues, increasing construction costs, and time frames. The Council have even said that they may incur penalties for delaying the project… if only the Council shared this concern for the completion of Park Road!
For me, when there is a will, there is a way. I can tell you, having been a Councillor and Cabinet Member at Calderdale, that if Labour wanted the pool to be deeper then they can make this happen. But the Council are incredibly reluctant to do so, whether this is for the reasons stated or something else.
Time frames can be shortened. I understand that the planning application has been submitted. The application has not received planning permission yet, which means that there is time to change the design.
Additionally, I do not suppose that deepening the swimming pool would be a major change to the plans, because being purposefully simplistically, these amendments would require digging deeper instead of increasing width or depth.
Perhaps the Labour-led Council’s primary concern is not the technicalities, but the MASSIVE delays and backlog that its own planning department are experiencing?!
Regarding the alleged ‘funding shortfall’, who are Labour kidding? The Council have just received a Government levelling-up fund contribution of £12.2 million!
The Council must give residents some straight answers to some straight questions.
Campaigners must find out the extent to which the Government’s £12.2 million is plugging a short-fall, or whether taking into account the original funding sources, the Government’s funding actually creates a surplus.
Campaigners need the figures. The two pertinent questions are:
- What is the funding source breakdown for the proposed Halifax Swimming Pool before the levelling up fund was announced?
- Following the Government’s levelling up fund announcement, what is the revised capital funding source breakdown?
We need straight answers to some straight questions.