Wirral Council may throw lifeline to children upset by sudden closure of Rock Ferry’s Byrne Avenue swimming baths

Feb 18 2009 by Lorna Hughes, Bromborough and Bebington News

Wirral Council may throw lifeline to children upset by sudden closure of Rock Ferry’s Byrne Avenue swimming baths

PARENTS left out of pocket after the sudden closure of Byrne Avenue swimming baths could be thrown a lifeline by Wirral Council.

The council is hoping to arrange for youngsters who were booked in for lessons before the centre’s sudden closure this week to take them at either Europa Pools or the Oval.

Hundreds of children expecting to take swimming lessons during this week’s half-term holiday have been left disappointed – with many families only discovering the Rock Ferry swimming baths had shut after arriving on Monday morning for swimming sessions.

One parent said many had already handed over £15 for lessons all this week, which had to be paid in advance. Byrne Avenue Baths, a registered charity, was run and operated by the Byrne Avenue Recreational Trust (BART), which leased the building from Wirral Council, which owns the freehold.

The Trust said in a notice pinned to the door of the centre that there were “insufficient funds” available to keep it running and it had no choice but to go into compulsory liquidation.

Another woman, who asked not to be named, said: “My seven-year-old daughter will be so disappointed because she loves it here.”

Thirteen members of staff are now waiting to find out if they will be paid wages owed to them.

Former manager Steve Gaines said the swimming baths had been told to make a series of health and safety improvements in recent months, which they had completed, and had hoped this would help secure the baths’ future.

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. Two years ago, the authority gave the trust a May deadline to complete repairs or it would take the property back – and the community rallied around to ensure the work was completed.

The notice from the Trust said: “The managers of Byrne Avenue Recreational Trust regret having to report that there are insufficient funds available to continue running the centre.

“The company has had to accept that it will have to be put into compulsory liquidation. The centre must therefore close with immediate effect. The directors have looked at all options to keep BART running, but reduced income and higher costs, particularly heating, have forced this situation. Formal notices will be issued as soon as possible.”

Calls to the baths went unanswered yesterday and the trust’s website can no longer be accessed.