Divers hoping to follow in the footsteps of new teenage Olympic star Tom Daley will struggle to follow their dreams in the Midlands.
Walsall Gala Baths is now the only public pool left in the Black Country which can offer the chance to try out diving, with a spring board and three high platforms.
It is thought that health and safety fears prompted many pools in the region to axe their boards years ago.
The efforts of 14-year-old Tom, who missed out on a medal yesterday in the men’s synchronised event, have brought the sport back into the spotlight, but Midlanders are hard pushed to find venues to practice.
In Wolverhampton, none of the council-run swimming pools offer diving facilities, with Bilston baths having got rid of its high dive platforms in the 1990s followed by the springboard five years ago.
It is a similar situation in South Staffordshire, where the four leisure centres have their own pools, but no platforms or boards.
Dudley Council removed all diving boards from its four pools in the 1990s, blaming capacity issues, while there are no diving facilities at Sandwell’s leisure centres.
Not even Birmingham offers diving at its council-run pools, while Black Country residents willing to travel to Shropshire will have to head all the way to The Quarry pool in Shrewsbury to find a diving board.
Walsall’s Gala Baths has 7.5m, 5m and 3m diving boards plus a one-metre spring board.
Deputy duty manager Lewis Prince said: “There are a number of diving sessions held throughout the week and we do have some very good divers come to teach their children.”
Scott Hodges, manager of Central Baths in Wolverhampton, said that despite the lack of diving facilities they were still experiencing the ‘Olympics effect’ with a renewed interest in swimming.
Bilston Leisure Centre assistant manager Jean Wilde said she thought a health and safety clampdown was behind the decision to get rid of the diving boards years ago.
7 Comments
You people dont know how lucky you are to have a pool at all. Gala baths in West Bromwich has been replaced with an Arts Centre for Gods sake. Does anyone know what the empty car park opposite Netto is going to be used for. Bet it isnt a leisure centre
Good job we spend our money on late, overbudget white elephants like ‘The Public’.
£43m was it, with probably £1m pa running costs? While our swimming baths are squalid, decaying, 70s buildings.
Council tax has doubled in 10 years. You wouldn’t think it based on any change in services would you?
might it have something to do with a labour run sandwell council. wednesbury would be a much better off place so would all the the borough´s with a council of it´s own.
Mr D Callaghan, Dave and wayne, a short while back the people of Sandwell had the opportunity to change all these things that people are complaining about, what did they do????????? They voted the same people back into office, so according to that everyone likes what the elected Labour Council are doing in Sandwell.
I can only think that people like having muppets running the council.
Jim of Bearwood
thats true jim, i for one can never understand why they vote them in. probably they dont turn up to vote anymore but some are afraid of change these are the ones who moan the end of the day.
Ermmm..you could have a council like ours in Stafford.Who rip down a leisure centre build another one with a new pool that is too small and only 150 swimmers can use it!
You cant get in the damn pool because its always booked with swimming clubs and im disabled and i cant get a free disabled swimmers pass but i can have one to swim with Wrekin Council in Newport and Telford!..Odd that when i pay my council tax to Stafford Borough!
Well said Wayne, you’re right that there’s too much reliance on democracy these days.