Council criticised over cuts to swimming pool hours

The council is looking to reduce hours at all nine leisure and swimming pools across the district. It could mean day-long closures for some, forcing people to travel to their next closest venue.

The authority said it needed to save £100,000 from its sports service budget this year. Savings of £22m overall are needed for the coming financial year.

Parents said the council should be doing more to promote sport among children.

Faye Burrell, 33, of Outwood, Wakefield, who runs a swim school for under-fives, said: “Swimming is a vital life-saving skill. Parents aren’t going to travel too far to go swimming. You want to know your local leisure centre is open when you decide to take your kids swimming.”

Wakefield Council said it had told staff about its plans.

A spokesman said: “In an attempt to keep leisure facilities open - whilst meeting the massive £22 million savings target for the coming financial year - Wakefield Council is proposing to review the opening hours of its sports facilities.”

Councillor David Dagger, Cabinet member for culture, sport and libraries said: “Providing the best possible leisure services for people in the district is still our priority, however we have to reduce our spending, we simply have no choice.

“Our sport and active lifestyle service has to make over £100,000 savings this year alone. By looking at the opening hours of some of our facilities we hope that we can keep all our leisure centres open, safeguard jobs and still offer our customers an excellent service.”

The Council said it was “planning to try and minimise the inconvenience this could potentially cause customers by ensuring that if one facility is closed on a particular day then other nearby leisure centre services will still be available.”

Councillor Dagger added: “We will make every effort to minimise the disruption this may cause for those who use these facilities and will be working with staff, customers and user groups before any new opening times are decided.”

The council has started talks with staff. The new arrangements are planned to be in place from April 1.