From the February issue of The Respect PaperBirmingham: We want a community pool - run by the communityOver 100 people packed into the Sparkhill Cultural Centre 0n February 3 discuss the future of Sparkhill baths. As expected, it was a lively event. Residents were angry that the pool has been shut for nearly two years.
They were very concerned about any talk of a Private Finance Initiative option. And they became even more vociferous in their opposition when Liberal Democrat Cllr Mullaney revealed that it would be 2013 before any PFI option could be completed, meaning five years without a pool.As one resident said to loud applause: 'We want a community pool run by the community and not private shareholders'. When put to a vote not a single person in the room voted for the PFI option.
Cllr Mullaney claimed that the council was legally obligated to put all possible options out to public consultation. This was contested by Respect's leader and local councillor Salma Yaqoob and local MP Roger Godsiff.
But even if what he says turns out to be true, Salma argued there is no reason that a timetable for such consultation could not be agreed.
It could be conducted within an eight week period or less.
The feeling of the meeting was that the claim about consultation was a ruse, designed to drag the issue past the general election so as not to undermine the chances of Lib Dem Hall Green general election candidate Jerry Evans.
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