Walsall baths to undergo £1 million makeover

The borough council wants to invest in the town centre baths despite having to make millions of savings in the next year.

Firm plans are now being drawn up and are set to include a changing village, sauna room, extended fitness suite and pool improvements.

The prospect of transforming the outdated Tower Street site, which dates back more 50 years, was first raised last year. But the former Conservative-led council then revealed it was looking at the option of replacing the Gala Baths and creating a new swimming pool and multi-storey car park complex.

However, with the Labour group now in control, the building is set to be maintained and given a £1m spruce up in the 2015/16 budget.

Councillor Khizar Hussain, cabinet member for leisure, said: "The refurbishment of Gala Baths has been included in the draft budget capital programme to reflect the council's earlier commitment to consider an investment of around £1m to extend the life of this town centre facility.

"The investment will complement the recent decision by council to reconstruct the Bloxwich and Oak Park leisure centres.

"Taken together, these improvements will significantly increase the number of residents taking part in physical activity and so maximise the health benefits.

"Details of what the refurbishment will comprise will be included in a future report to council."

The new leisure centres at Oak Park and Bloxwich form part of a £24m scheme to create modern facilities across the borough. Work is starting in the coming months and it is hoped they will both be fully operational by summer 2016.

The investment comes as the cash-strapped council needs to save £86m from its budget over the next four years.

Bosses want to make savings of £29m next year, with 487 jobs set to be axed over two years.

Under the plans for the next few years, eight libraries will close, 12 children's centres will shut, as well as Walsall Museum.

Other cost-cutting measures include reducing bin collections to fortnightly and charges being introduced for green waste collections,

Tips in Walsall will be shut two days a week to save nearly £100,000 and £1 parking charges for four hours will be introduced on around 800 free spaces in Aldridge, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Darlaston and Willenhall.