Three new swimming pools are to be built in Manchester under £18m plans to improve leisure facilities in the city.
Town hall chiefs want to replace outdated pools with new leisure centres in Chorlton, Levenshulme and east Manchester.
They say the run-down buildings are too expensive to run and poor value for money.
Despite facing huge cuts forced by the government’s spending review, the town hall believes it can find the money to fund the schemes – and will save cash in the long run.
In Chorlton and Levenshulme, the new buildings would include a library, allowing the town hall to save money by closing the existing libraries. The Chorlton centre is expected to cost £5.7m and would save the council more than £190,000-a-year in running costs. Up to £2.4m from the sale of land and financial contributions from the developer could help fund it.
In Beswick, a new pool and leisure centre, in Grey Mare Lane, would replace Miles Platting pool and save more than £100,000-a-year, according to a council report. The council has already identified £6m potential funding for the £6.5m project, including money from Sport England and national sports governing bodies.
Manchester City will also help fund the scheme. The Blues have already pledged cash for community leisure facilities as part of plans to put the Etihad Stadium at the heart of a ‘world capital of sports’ in east Manchester.
The new centre in Levenshulme would replace Levenshulme Baths and the historic ‘Carnegie library’.
No funding has yet been identified for the project, which would cost up to £6.5m. But town hall officers hope to ‘borrow’ money for all three projects against the future savings they will bring.
Coun Mike Amesbury, Manchester’s executive member for culture and leisure, said: "These innovative proposals will mean state-of-the-art leisure and library facilities for residents of the Levenshulme, Chorlton and east Manchester areas.
"Just as significantly, they will save money over time in maintenance and running costs."
The closures of Levenshulme and Miles Platting pools were announced last February as part of the council’s programme of spending cuts, following a 21 per cent reduction in its grant money from government.
Councillors agreed that Levenshulme would stay open until money could be found to build a replacement after complaints.
Opposition and Liberal Democrat leader Coun Marc Ramsbottom said: "We welcome the long overdue investment in new facilities, but we will be seeking guarantees that existing facilities will not close unless the new centres are ready and open for use by the local community."
The proposals will go before a town hall scrutiny committee tomorrow. There is no timescale for completing the projects but the management contract for the council’s leisure facilities is up for renewal in 2014.
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What good news for these areas, particularly Beswick with the Etihad stadium, the new BMX track, Veladrome Cycling Centre Tennis and Football centre, Sqash centre and athletics it's just amazing! To think what this area was like 10 years ago it's just unbelievable. I sold my house there 9 years ago for £28,000 that house is now £99,000 I'm gutted. I thought the area would improve but not to this extent, that new accademy on greymare lane with the beswick library looks fantastic. God knows what it's going to be like with the new sports village city are building. Can't even afford to move back, who'ed have thought it, couldn't wait to get out of beswick 12 years ago now you have to be like a millionaire to get in!
Ha ha ha. You couldn't make it up. Sack council workers to make a political point but then build leisure facilities to buy votes. Time to move away from Manchester I think.
Sounds good but where is are the facilities in Chorlton to be located? They must have a place in mind but that little detail has been left out - why would that be? Hopefully the closure of the current library building won't mean it is demolished - it's a lovely building.
another pfi rip-off?
How about fixing the highway network rather than shovel some more tarmac in the hole on a fortnightly cycle.
I'm knitting my trunks in anticipation.
I am happy that MCC are going to build these facilities and hope they get well used I remember around the Beswick area there use to be two swimming baths Barmouth Street I think was in Openshaw and New Islington in Ancoats these baths were knocked down and never replaced. They go on about east Manchester being deprived and run down let’s not forget who was mainly responsible for this when the heavy industry went from the area MCC never did anything with it they found millions to fund a metro-link but nothing for east Manchester.
Politically it was in MCC interest to keep east Manchester in a poor state their main interest was the Hulme area investment there was on a scale that outstripped east Manchester. It is all a game of political pinball now east Manchester is getting the investment it desperately needs, investment that has come from a private source MCC now want to invest in the area. It’s amazing in these austere times MCC find £18m it makes you wonder if they really worked at it how much better all Manchester would be, do you remember the failed congestion referendum and how much that cost Manchester money that could of been used to better Manchester.
When the last Labour government backed the London Olympics billions was found to invest into London to the detriment of cities up and down our country MCC never once was seen fighting the Labour government of the day for a share of the billions it had stolen from us for London.
Barmouth Street baths was opposite little bradford park. i used to go to the swan club every friday evening, stopping off at siam street chippy on the way home.
the area needs all the investment it can get,
happy days
bradford baths,
barmouth street.
Such a shame that these Victorian baths are going, my friend write a lovely piece about them, especially Levenshulme and I'm going to be sure to check them out before they go.
http://theshriekingviolets.blogspot.com/2010/11/swimming-in-history-historical-swimming.html