Shabana has written to Birmingham City Council regarding the continued closure of Small Heath Swimming Pool.

The swimming pool has been closed for several years due to structural issues without a plan for reopening.

Local residents have repeatedly highlighted their frustration with a lack of nearby swimming facilities that serve the community.

In her letter, Shabana raises concerns that the Council refused a grant from Sport England to bring the pool back into use.

Shabana has asked Council leaders to provide a full timetable for reopening the pool.

You can read the letter in full below.

Letter to the Leader of the Council

Dear Ian

I am writing regarding the campaign to reopen Small Heath swimming pool.

I am concerned by recent reports that Birmingham City Council turned down an offer of a grant in 2017 that would have supported the reopening of the pool. Internal correspondence obtained by Birmingham Live reveals that officers deemed the project ‘not a priority’ in email discussions regarding the prospect of grant funding. I am deeply concerned that, once again, our inner city communities appear to have landed at the back of the queue when it comes to services provided by the Council.

Five years have passed since that offer was on the table. Still, my constituents in Bordesley Green do not have an adequate swimming facility nearby.

Our communities have long complained that the Council has not been moving fast enough on this issue. There has been community campaigns, petitions, and calls from a range of local stakeholders in effort to give this issue the attention it deserves. I have personally spent years lobbying the Council to reopen this essential community facility.

I’m aware that after a private meeting attended by local councillors and a representative from my office, the Council has publicly stated its intention to bring the pool back into use. It’s time for the Council to publish a timeline for the reopening, and a commitment to delivering a long-term plan for the site, to give residents the confidence that leadership at the Council is taking its concerns seriously.

Yours sincerely

Shabana Mahmood MP

Birmingham Ladywood