Parents must pay twice for swim lessons after Byrne Avenue baths shutdown

Mar 4 2009 Birkenhead News

Byrne Avenue swimming pool

SWIMMERS left out of pocket by the sudden closure of Byrne Avenue baths have been told they will have to pay again to take their lessons at council leisure centres.

Families across Wirral were left disappointed when the Rock Ferry centre shut its doors last month, just a day before the start of half term.

Many had already paid £30 per child for six weekly lessons and an extra £15 for lessons during the school holiday.

After the closure Wirral Council said it hoped children who were booked in for lessons could be accommodated at Europa Pools in Birkenhead or the Oval in Bebington.

But anyone who transfers their lessons to its facilities will have to pay full cost for the tuition because Byrne Avenue was run by a trust and not the council.

Janet and Derek Harding from Bromborough have two daughters, aged 10 and 7, who have had weekly swimming tuition at Byrne Avenue since 2002.

Mrs Harding said: “Families have no option but to pay for new lessons or go without.

“I understand the council is in dire straits but everyone is struggling.”

Byrne Avenue Baths was run and operated by the Byrne Avenue Recreational Trust (BART), which leased the building from Wirral Council.

The council handed the running of the building to the trust in 1996, due to maintenance costs, but has still been providing £20,000 a year.

A spokesman for Wirral Council said: “We sympathise with everyone who had already paid for lessons at Byrne Avenue, but we have no option but to charge as it would be unfair on our existing customers if we didn’t.

Anyone seeking a refund for activities should write to: Byrne Avenue Recreational Trust, Chevasse Court, 24 Lord Street, Liverpool L2 1TA.