Secret Birmingham

MOSELEY ROAD BATHS – COUNCIL CENSORS REPORT

05-01-2008

Birmingham Council has admitted that the long-awaited report on Moseley Road swimming baths - finally released into the public domain on Thursday - has been censored. A city councillor who posted some of the confidential information on our Message Board has now been warned he could face an investigation.

As we reported yesterday, a independent consultants's assessment of the Edwardian pool seemed to have something missing when it was posted on the local authority’s website – ie the business case for the respective options (see link here).

This is important since it shows that prospect of re-opening the larger pool while converting the area occupied by the second one for community used would break even after nine years.

When we queried this, a Council spokeswoman confirmed that these details hadn’t been published because they are “commercially sensitive”.

Liberal Democrat councillor Martin Mullaney who placed some of the relevant outline on The Stirrer Forum Board has now been warned by Birmingham’s Chief Legal Officer Mirza Ahmad that he could be reported to the local government Standards Board.

Mullaney says, “I don't accept the figures are commercially sensitive since they are broad brush figures.

“If I was giving precise figures for individual repairs, then this would be wrong. These are approximate figures which no company could gain financial benefit or advantage from.”

Meanwhile Friends of Moseley Road Baths campaigner Steve Beauchampe is still arguing that keeping both pools open should be considered a live option.

He said, “this is supposed to be a consultation, and I hope that means what it says – consulting properly with pool users.

“People say it might cost money to keep two pools, but swimming baths and libraries usually do need subsidy. But this is the kind of service we pay our taxes for.”

Join the discussion on our Message Board.