Calls for investigation as Featherstone swimming pool ‘blunder’ set to cost taxpayers £2.6m

A review has been launched over Wakefield Council’s handling of a land sale next to Featherstone Sports Complex.

The council looks likely to have to stump up more than £1m to a developer to prevent the leisure centre, Featherstone Swimming Pool and nearby Featherstone Academy from having to shut down.

Wakefield Council leader Denise Jeffery today described the situation as “simply not good enough” and said “residents deserve better”.

An opposition leader has demanded that the council issue a full apology.

Orion Homes are building houses next to the leisure centre on land bought from the council.

In April last year, tanks and a drainage area which serve the leisure centre and swimming pool were found on the construction site.

Orion informed the council that they planned to remove them by July 2022.

A full survey then revealed that the site also contains gas and water mains pipes which serve the school, leisure centre and swimming pool.

Wakefield Council has so far spent more than £500,000 on a “temporary drainage solution”.

A report to senior councillors states: “Without the work, all facilities would have to be closed and the adjacent land would be at risk of flooding.”

The council is now proposing to give Orion £1.2m to carry out “rectification works” on the site.

The report continues: “Without surface water drainage to serve the facilities, the adjacent land would be at risk of flooding that would leave the council open to legal claims.

“Without mains water services, the swimming pool and leisure centre would have to be closed.

“Without the gas pipe relocation, the swimming pool, leisure centre and school would have to be closed.”

Wakefield Council’s cabinet will be asked to approve the spending at a meeting on Tuesday, January 17.

The costs are expected to be funded by borrowing, with estimated interest charges of £57,000 a year.

The report adds: “Over an anticipated asset life of at least 25 years, the total additional costs to the council would be in the region of £2.6m.”

Tom Gordon, Lib Dem group leader at Wakefield Council said: “This is just the latest example in a string of terrible decisions by Labour-run Wakefield Council.

“This should never have happened and local residents will have to pick up the tab for it.

“There needs to be a review into how this happened.

“Steps should be taken to ensure that it never happens again.

“The council must issue an unreserved apology and explain to residents what services and projects will now fall by the wayside because of a blunder.

“It further demonstrates that your money is not safe in Labour’s hands.”

Coun Jeffery, who has recently taken over responsibility for the authority’s property portfolio, said: “The simplest and most cost-effective way to get this sorted, so that Featherstone can remain open, is for Orion to carry out the works as they are already on site and ready to go.

“However, this situation is simply not good enough.

“I expect better and residents deserve better.

“I’ve instructed officers to review this and want robust assurance that this won’t happen again.”