No plans to close swimming pool - council

No leisure facilities in Wolverhampton will close - including the Central Baths - as part of budget savings, the city council has confirmed.

In November, the authority said a major review of council services was under way, with waste collection and swimming pools among several areas likely to be affected as it looked to save £32m.

But councillor Jasbir Jaspal, cabinet member for adults and wellbeing, said unfounded speculation about the closure of the baths had caused much upset in the community.

However, the council had now been able to present proposals to reduce running costs at leisure sites rather than closing them, she added.

"It is always heartening to hear how highly people rate our leisure services, but the recent speculation about the future of Central Baths has been very disappointing," she said.

"It has caused much upset in the community, and among customers and the dedicated staff who run this important facility."

She said the council had been looking at all areas to make savings "against a backdrop of increasing budgetary pressures and rising demand".

"But rather than looking at closing services, we have instead been able to develop a range of proposals that will help us to reduce the costs of running our leisure services and ensure their sustainability," she continued.

"I am delighted to say that we will be bringing these forward for approval by cabinet at next month's meeting.

"In the meantime, let me reiterate – there are categorically no plans to close leisure facilities in Wolverhampton."

In an update in November on the draft budget for 2025-2026, the council said reviews were being carried out across numerous areas in the work to make savings.

They included saving £2.6m in adult care services, £6.9m in frontline services in waste, recycling and street cleaning and the current provision of swimming pools £670,000.

The council has also since decided to stop funding the city's wholesale market to make a £272,000 annual saving.

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