Questions over Ponds Forge closure; a reader letter

The decision not to reopen Ponds Forge has caused incredulity.

The fact that it has been taken under emergency powers, bypassing other councillors’ right to challenge, suggests there is something rotten at the core of this.

And yes, there is.

It is no secret that Sheffield International Venues, ie Sheffield City Trust, has experienced serious cashflow problems for a number of years. Council money has been poured into the trust to keep it afloat.

That has allowed venues including the City Hall and Ponds Forge to remain open.

The council commissioned Grant Thornton to conduct a financial review of the trust last year.

That proved so sensitive members of the public and press were removed from the chamber so it could be scrutinised privately by councillors of the committee in October.

The degree of incompetence revealed by the report was breathtaking.

The fact that the council itself nominated people to its board of trustees, including its own Labour councillors, surely means it must have known about what was going on way before the crisis became public.

Or, it begs the question, why it did not.

Since taking control of the council in 2011, Coun Julie Dore, council leader, has used government cuts to council funding as a justification for the poor decision, making it no surprise that the situation has spiralled out control.

Covid-19 has exposed the deficiencies and has magnified the problems many fold.

Tragically, it’s not those responsible for the debacle that will suffer its consequences.

Council taxpayers in Sheffield certainly will as the additional money allocated to stem the destruction of our leisure facilities has to come from somewhere.

Hardest hit will be those who have structured their professional and leisure lives around the iconic swimming and diving facilities at Ponds Forge.

These users cannot endure a continued mothballing and it won’t be long before many will transfer to where such facilities are open.

Ultimately it’s the loss of Sheffield’s reputation that will cost the city dear.

This is a hammer blow to Sheffield, City of Sport.

If it cannot safely maintain world-standard facilities, sporting organisations will question whether it is wise to invest here.

The decision taken by Coun Dore is based on the report Provision of Grant Funding for Sheffield City Trust, Places Leisure to allow Leisure Facilities to reopen post CV-19.

It contains a number of statements councillors of all political persuasions would wish to question in depth.

That is being denied by using emergencies powers to push through controversial decisions.

Many decisions are being taken by the same small number of cabinet members and advisers who will not be questioned by their own backbenchers, let alone members of the opposition.

Denying there is a range of views that should be heard embeds silo thinking.

It works against the interests of Sheffield and will shape our ability to recover from the pandemic.

The current administration cannot blame Covid-19 for everything.

Coun Shaffaq Mohammed

Sheffield Council Liberal Democrat group leader