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Babergh District Council begins the process next week of evaluating the opportunities and challenges facing the authority in planning for the long term future of leisure facilities in Hadleigh.
Councillors on the Strategy Committee will consider a paper on 9th February which shows how any new swimming pool is inextricably linked to Babergh being able to raise funds from the sale of some of its assets in the town, which may include land at Brett Works and East House.
“A long-term solution for the people of Hadleigh and the surrounding villages will never be found by looking at each of the issues separately. Councillors need to be aware of the bigger picture and the aim of the paper is to describe the opportunities” explained Nick Ridley, Babergh’s Strategy Committee Chairman.
Hadleigh’s pool is well over 30 years old and is coming to the end of its natural life. A new pool will cost £3.25m. With no government grants to draw upon and a clear message from the nearly 6000 respondents from across the district who gave their views last year that a clear majority do not want to fund this entirely by extra increases in Council Tax, Babergh must look elsewhere to secure the resources.
Babergh has earmarked £30,000 in next year’s budget for a feasibility study into a new pool. The report recommends that that such a study could go ahead once progress is made on generating funds from the sale of assets, including land at the Brett Works site, where access to the site cuts across pieces of land owned by both Hadleigh Town and Babergh District Councils.
Babergh is keen to work with Hadleigh Town Council as to how best to maximise the value of our respective landholdings.
“Such an expensive project certainly means Babergh cannot go it alone. We are looking to work with other partners in the town, including Hadleigh Town Council, to pool all our resources and expertise together and make a concerted effort to deliver the leisure facilities for future Hadleigh generations” concluded Cllr. Ridley
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