Wem pool saved but will cost more to run

Councillors in Wem have agreed to hand over management of the Butler Sports Centre pool to Severn Centre, which already runs a pool in Highley, near Bridgnorth.

The company will run the facility for two years from January 1.

At a special meeting of Wem Town Council in Edinburgh House last night, councillors agreed to keep the swimming pool open and commit additional funding.

Severn Centre was chosen ahead of the Friends of Wem Swimming Centre, a group of residents who proposed to create a community trust to run it.

Councillors said their hearts were with the Friends, but their heads told them to side with Severn Centre.

Deputy mayor Councillor Connie Granger said: "This pool really needs expertise, it needs work and has to make money.

"Severn Centre are successful but the Friends don't have a track record to look at."

Business plans were presented by both interested parties last week.

From April people in a band D home will pay an extra £13.89 a year – 27p a week – in council tax to keep the pool open. Most homes in Wem are a band A property and will pay £9.26 extra per year – 18p per week.

Councillor Mandy Meakin said closing the building was not an option because it could fall into a state of disrepair and need to be demolished, which would cost more.

Current operators Teme Leisure said it had decided to pull out of the running of the pool for 'economic reasons'.

It is the second time the future of the pool has been thrown into doubt in just two years after previous operator Wem Swimming Centre Ltd was declared insolvent in 2010.