MP says Ponds Forge could 'reopen tomorrow' if government gave Sheffield the same money it gives other councils

A Sheffield MP said Ponds Forge International Sports Centre could ‘reopen tomorrow’ if the government gave Sheffield Council the same leisure funding it gives other local authorities.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East, said it was a ‘very unfair’ system which forced the council to pay out millions and left it unable to support hundreds of athletes who are under threat of losing their livelihoods.

Mr Betts said: “The problem is there has been no money coming through the door at these facilities for many months.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“What the government is doing in other places is covering 75 percent of the loss, but in Sheffield’s case they haven’t got a penny out of the government so far. It’s very unfair.

Clive Betts MP says Ponds Forge would be able to reopen tomorrow if the government gave Sheffield the same amount of leisure funding that it gives to other local authoritiesClive Betts MP says Ponds Forge would be able to reopen tomorrow if the government gave Sheffield the same amount of leisure funding that it gives to other local authorities
Clive Betts MP says Ponds Forge would be able to reopen tomorrow if the government gave Sheffield the same amount of leisure funding that it gives to other local authorities

“If they did it would solve all the problems, it would get Ponds Forge open tomorrow if that was the case.”

Ponds Forge closed in March due to Covid-19 and it was estimated it would not be able to reopen again in its normal format until April 2021 in the ‘best case scenario’.

Sheffield City Trust - which manages the facility - was able to reopen most of its other leisure venues last month with up to £15 million support from the council, which was £10 million more than it budgeted for and will come from reserves.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sheffield Council said it was unable to provide the extra £1.5 million needed to reopen Ponds Forge to the public.

MP Clive BettsMP Clive Betts
MP Clive Betts

But since then, aquatics clubs launched a campaign to reopen Ponds Forge for athletes, saying the clubs - some of which are the best in the country - would not be able to survive until April without it.

Earlier this week they implored the council and MPs across the city to help provide £360,000 needed to open the diving pit and 50 metre swimming pools for clubs between October and April, which the council said it would consider.

The issue of Sheffield Council missing out on leisure funding other local authorities get was raised by Mr Betts and other Sheffield Labour MPs in July.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They sent a letter to Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for local government, urging him to help councils like Sheffield which do not receive the compensation other local authorities get which run leisure facilities themselves.

Ponds Forge. Ponds Forge.
Ponds Forge.

They said if it did run them itself, and not via SCT, it would get around 75 percent of losses paid for by the government.

In the letter they said: "Without this help the city council will be disadvantaged to the tune of many £millions which they can obviously ill afford at a time when we recognise all local authorities are doing an incredible job along with the health service and voluntary sector locally to deal with the Covid crisis."

Mr Betts said they chased Mr Jenrick for an update on this last week.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: “I understand [the clubs’] position and it’s very important that we have these top quality facilities used by top quality athletes.

"The problem is even the plan they put forward still requires another substantial amount of money from the council. If the government gave Sheffield the money they are giving other councils, Ponds Forge could reopen tomorrow and the council would have to give less money to SCT than it is currently doing,” adding: “I also raised the issue with Simon Clarke, the local government minister, and he was not unsympathetic but they said they have to sort the mechanics out with the treasury and I understand that is what is still happening.”

Gill Furniss, MP for Sheffield Hillsborough and Brightside, has also given her support to the campaign to reopen Ponds Forge and said: “I know the council is looking at this proposal from our brilliant aquatics teams. I’m pleased that the council has already invested heavily to reopen all our leisure centres in Brightside and Hillsborough and I would urge them to support these clubs if they can.”

Miriam Cates, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, also said she is 'very supportive' of the campaign and is currently speaking to government about whether it would be possible to secure funding.

Thank you to all who support local journalism with a digital or print subscription to The Star. The events of 2020 mean trusted, local journalism is more reliant than ever on your support. We couldn't do it without you. Subscribe here www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions so we can keep campaigning on your behalf. Stay safe.