Yobs target £3m health centre
As the £13 million Wolverhampton Swimming and Fitness Centre thrives, a mere half mile away another once prestigious landmark building is slowly rotting.
Healthland was hailed as a £3 million super health club for Wolverhampton with two pools when it opened in 1998.
But now vandals are destroying the prime Bentley Bridge site armed with rocks from land at the nearby swimming centre. Bosses of Bentley Bridge Retail Park caught yobs on CCTV collecting stones around the new centre and using them to smash windows at Healthland.
Wednesfield North councillor Phil Bateman was told about the problems when he met owners X-leisure to discuss the site.
He said X-leisure's 24-hour security service had pinpointed that stones and rocks were being carried from the council-owned Waterworld site in Bowman's Harbour.
X-leisure is now calling for the land near the swimming complex to be properly landscaped so it does not continue providing ammunition for vandals.
Despite big name fitness chains said to be interested in Healthland, the building has had no takers since shutting in February last year amid financial problems, leaving around 4,000 members in the lurch and 50 staff out of work.
Councillor Bateman said: "It is just not on to see such a new and key development decline in this way."
X-leisure has hit back at criticism of its security efforts around Healthland.
Spokesman Mark Lomax said the company was working hard on safety and security and trying to ensure the leisure park was presentable.
He said: "There is 24-hour security provided on the site, monitoring both activity and the safety of all visitors.
"Any damage to the premises is logged and repaired at the earliest opportunity and where possible, steps are taken to ensure that any further opportunities for damage are limited."
Several units at Bentley Bridge remain empty although it is attracting new outlets. The newest arrival was discount chain Home Bargains earlier this year.
