Council chief executive to hold inquiry into £2.6m Featherstone swimming pool ‘blunder’

Council leader Denise Jeffery has confirmed that a probe has been launched over the episode which threatened the closure of a school and sports centre in Featherstone.

Senior councillors this week approved the release of funds to allow a developer to carry out remedial works which will ensure Featherstone Sports Complex and Featherstone Academy remain open.

Coun Jeffery told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday: “This is not something that any of us in cabinet want to see.

“I would like us to move forward with the recommendation to get the remedial work sorted out so that we don’t delay anything.

“I have asked the chief executive (Andrew Balchin) to hold an inquiry into how we got to this situation and report back to us a matter of urgency.”

Orion Homes are building houses next to the leisure centre on land bought from the council.

In April last year, tanks and a drainage area which serve the leisure centre and swimming pool were discovered on the construction site.

Orion informed the council that they planned to remove them by July 2022.

A full survey then revealed that the site also contains gas and water mains pipes which serve the school, leisure centre and swimming pool.

Wakefield Council has so far spent more than £500,000 on a “temporary drainage solution”.

Cabinet agreed to give Orion £1.2m to carry out “rectification works” on the site.

The costs are expected to be funded by borrowing, with estimated interest charges of £57,000 a year.

Over 25 years, the total additional costs to the council are expected to be around £2.6m.

Last Week, Tom Gordon, Lib Dem group leader at Wakefield Council said: “The council must issue an unreserved apology and explain to residents what services and projects will now fall by the wayside because of a blunder.”

Opposition members demanded answers over the issue at a full council meeting yesterday (Wednesday).

Conservative group leader Tony Hames referred to it as “money being poured literally down the drain in Featherstone.”

Tony Homewood, independent councillor for Ossett, asked the leader why she had not included the issue in her report to members.

He said: “I have got ask the leader, in preparation of the report, why is there no mention of the wonderful land sale in Featherstone that has cost the rate payers of Wakefield £2.6m.

“While I accept that the problem was not her fault personally, there are people in this council whose fault it was.

“Somebody needs to see some heads rolling.”

Coun Jeffery replied: “I haven’t mentioned it because I have asked the chief executive to do an inquiry into what happened at Featherstone.

“It is not acceptable and it does need to be looked into properly, then we will come back here.

“Yes, it is not good that these things have happened. Somebody will be accountable, I assure you of that.”