2012 plan for pool is sunk; LEISURE: Aquatic centre will not be ready for Olympics.Byline: Paul Dale BIRMINGHAM will not have its pounds 60 million Olympic swimming pool by 2012 because the city council cannot find enough money to meet the tight timetable, it was revealed today. Leisure bosses are still committed to delivering the Birmingham Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Ladywood but have accepted that the complex is highly unlikely to be in place to coincide with the London Olympic Games Olympic games, premier athletic meeting of ancient Greece, and, in modern times, series of international sports contests. The Olympics of Ancient Greece Although records cannot verify games earlier than 776 B.C. in under three years' time. A report to the council cabinet next week will also reveal that only half of a pounds 100 million bill for swimming bath upgrades in Birmingham has been identified. The shortfall is likely to be covered by land and property sales in the next few years. Cabinet members are expected to agree to release money for design work to take place on rebuilding Sparkhill Baths and Stechford Arcades. The meeting will also give final approval for rebuilding Harborne baths. Sources close to the swimming improvement project suggested last night that the 2012 deadline for the 50-metre Olympic pool was no longer important. The date was originally proposed to enable the city to offer swimming training facilities for Olympics teams. But while Birmingham will be hosting the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. track and field team and the Jamaican athletics athletics or track and field also track-and-field games Variety of sport competitions held on a running track and on the adjacent field. It is the oldest form of organized sports, having been a part of the ancient Olympic Games from c. team for pre-Olympics training, an attempt to have the Chinese swimming team failed. However, the project continues to have the full support of council leader Mike Whitby Mike Whitby is a Conservative Party politician and current leader of Birmingham City Council, a post he has held since June 2004. He is one of three Conservative councillors representing the Harborne ward in the west of the city. . Coun Whitby (Con, Harborne) said yesterday: "It is definitely our ambition to build a sporting facility that will include the capacity to swim 50 metres at an international level." A planning application for the proposed site close to the National Indoor Arena is expected to go before the council before Christmas. A public meeting to discuss the plans is to take place at the Council House on Monday, October 19. OUR SAY: PAGE 24 |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion