Pool under the hammer

ONE of the town’s former community swimming pools will go up for auction next month. Wath Swimming Pool was one of several pools across the town mothballed as part of the borough council’s PFI plans to build four new super-pools.

ONE of the town’s former community swimming pools will go up for auction next month.

Wath Swimming Pool was one of several pools across the town mothballed as part of the borough council’s PFI plans to build four new super-pools.

Since its closure, the boarded-up pool has been sitting empty and been victim to vandalism.

On December 1, the Biscay Way site go up for auction with Lambert Smith Hampton.

A spokeswoman for Rotherham Borough Council said: “The most recent land registry search on file advises that there are no restrictions on title that affect the site of the Wath Swimming Pool land.

“However, the leisure PFI scheme previously entered into by the council effectively prevents the use of the site as a swimming pool as this use would constitute competition.

“Therefore there will be a restriction in the deeds for the property along these lines.

“The capital receipts will fall into the medium term capital programme.”

The town gained four new facilities in Aston, Maltby, Rotherham town centre and Wath as part of the PFI leisure contract.

As a result, all other council pools were closed and some have now been demolished.

The spokeswoman added: “Herringthorpe Leisure Centre has been demolished and it is proposed that the site is sold to support further investment in the long term leisure development of the Herringthorpe leisure site as a whole.

“Mowbray Gardens Swimming Pool has been demolished and in its place a new extended library has opened.

“Maltby Sports Centre has been demolished and has been replaced by one of the four new leisure facilities.”

The sites at the former Thrybergh Sports Centre, Dinnington Swimming Pool, Charles T Broughton Swimming Pool at Aston, Oakwood Swimming Pool (demolished) and Wingfield Swimming Pool (demolished) have been retained by neighbouring schools for various future uses. 

The future use of Swinton Swimming Pool is currently under review.

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