Thursday, December 8, 2022
NEWS Global triumph for Ikea store Page 2
WALSALL EDITION
MOTORING First look at Peugeot 408 Page 29
SPORT Step up hard for Brandon Back page
The region’s biggest free weekly newspaper Price when sold £1.20
SWIMMERS’ SAVE OUR POOL FIGHT Report by Gurdip Thandi
Worried swimmers have launched a determined campaign to save their beloved Walsall pool from permanent closure. A 14-metre crack has appeared in the facility at Sneyd Community Association in Vernon Way which Walsall Council said could be very costly to repair. Hundreds of people use the pool every week and many of them along with staff are keen to see it fixed and back in use, with an online petition collecting more than 1,400 signatures to date. They are also calling upon the council to share results of surveys carried out, so they can see the extent of the damage, themselves and get an idea of the cost involved. More than 500 people use Sneyd swimming pool every week with a further 300 on the waiting list. The pool was initially closed in the summer due to a broken boiler and was due to reopen in October. But the discovery of the crack has kept it shut ever since. Tracey Jackson, a parent whose two children have been using the pool for more than a decade, has set up a Go Fund Me page for the cause.
Fantastic Offers not to be missed! Call now for your Free Quotation
Users of Sneyd Swimming pool are fighting to save it from closure She said: “It’s a proper community environment where everyone goes. My daughter did her life-saving skills with the swim club and became a lifeguard and she’s now one of the teachers. It’s a shame it has to stop for all of the children who are using it
so we thought we’ve got to do something and start a petition.” A Walsall Council spokesman said: “The council has already commissioned an independent survey report which says there is a 14m long crack in the pool which has affected
both the tiles and the concrete structure. The cracking has caused significant damage to the tiled surround to the pool which means that it is unsafe. The consultant has indicated that the remedial repairs or reconstruction works would cost a significant amount to complete. “Following the repair to the boiler, the water temperature was increased at the recommended rate, so it is not believed that this was the cause of the cracking. “The report undertaken on the crack concluded that the crack is not typical of a thermal crack and suggests movement within the concrete structure of the pool. “A detailed and intrusive structural investigation by specialists would be costly, but would also involve emptying the pool of water. “As a local authority, the council is obliged to optimise its property portfolio through the consideration of options for maximising the efficiency of its built estate. “This includes considering options for either maximising occupation of under-utilised buildings or for the repurposing of those properties which cannot be effectively utilised for operational or service delivery purposes.”
Bedsits plan is approved Disused town centre offices in Walsall are set to be converted into bedsits, with the applicants saying the scheme would provide “much-needed accommodation”. Walsall Council planners gave the go-ahead for Anjum Design to build extensions to Alexander House in Bradford Street and create a total of eight bedsits. The building sits in the Bradford Street Conservation Area but the applicants said the development would not cause any harm and would improve its current condition. Anjum Design said: “All bedsits meet the requirements for Walsall Council’s housing standards.”
Four in dock over attack Four defendants accused of shooting a man and seriously injuring a woman when a car was rammed have denied the charges. Armed police went to Cobden Street in Palfrey, following gunshots, a crash and a fire shortly after 1pm on May 4 last year. At Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday, Mohamed Rahman, 30, Mohamed Hussain, 25, and two youths all denied attempting to murder Abdul Ali Khan and several other charges. Rahman, of Appleton Avenue, Hamstead, was remanded; Hussain, of Milton Street, Palfrey, and two youths were all granted bail. A provisional trial date was set for April 20.
FINANCE NOW AVAILABLE
Call for Terms & Conditions
PELSALL Windows & Glass Ltd Established in 1989
M6 J10
TON WOLVERHAMP
ROAD
Jct 10
• Full Range Of Colours • Own Tradesmen
• 10 Year Guarantee • Verandas
• Windows • Warm Roofs • Conservatories • Verandas • Porches • Canopies • Doors
MANOR HOSPITAL
PELSALL WINDOWS
M6 BESCOT
Jct 9M6 J9
0800 488 0703 • 01922 644226 • Rollingmill Street, Walsall WS2 9EQ • www.pelsallwindows.co.uk • info@pelsallwindows.co.uk
A MEMBER OF
FENSA REGISTERED MEMBER NO.31948