REDCAR and Cleveland Council leader Mary Lanigan has promised “spades in the ground” on a replacement for Eston swimming baths within 18 months after a fiery debate about its future.

She scalded her predecessor Sue Jeffrey over her “aggression” after the latter failed with a motion calling for the council to carry out necessary repairs to get the existing facility open again without delay.

Cllr Lanigan, who heads up the ruling independent/Liberal Democrat coalition on the local authority, appeared to surprise some council members when she suggested a sports village for athletics was being planned, as part of plans for a state-of-the-art new swimming pool.

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She also described the 50-year-old swimming pool building at Eston Leisure Centre as “dangerous” and promised work would begin within 18 months on a new build replacement.

Cllr Lanigan said: “There is money available and there are meetings coming up over the next several weeks.”

Earlier this week the council revealed details of a new independent structural inspection of Eston baths by Stockton-based engineering consultancy Billinghurst George & Partners which put the cost of repairing and maintaining the facility so it could continue to be used at £2.97m.

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It said elements of the fabric of the building had not been adequately maintained, were now in a very poor state of repair and required significant remedial work.

Cracking and movement to external walls was identified and the roof said to be in a poor condition, with the consultants deeming that the cost of and limited design life of any repairs meant it would be more feasible to demolish the building and construct a new one.

Labour’s Cllr Jeffrey, who represents the neighbouring South Bank ward, referred to a previous cabinet report drawn up in March by council officers on the pool, which has been closed since last June last year following a third flooding incident in the last 12 years.

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Officers concluded that repairing and reopening the pool was the “only viable option to protect a key service and public health” with prudential borrowing being proposed to fund the costs.

The report said a new build had been considered, but this was discounted due to the likely cost and significant time the area would be without swimming provision.

Cllr Jeffrey claimed the report had been pulled following a discussion held in secret.

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She asked what price the administration was prepared to pay for the good health of Greater Eston residents.

The council previously stated an alternative £1.7m repairs assessment, involving replacing the pool plant and equipment and moving it to a new location above ground as the existing one had been damaged by flooding, would be a “burden on taxpayers”. 

She said: “Our area of the borough is the hardest hit by covid, it has been recognised by multiple studies and research to have high unemployment, shocking poverty and the poorest health.

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“This was the wrong decision taken by the cabinet and it was against council officers’ advice.

“But there is a chance for us to stand together and put it right and get Eston baths repaired and reopened as soon as possible – no more messing around.”

Cllr Lanigan said the officers’ report was for the cabinet’s information and the current administration “cared a great deal about its residents”.

READ MORE: MP calls councillors 'dishonest' and 'irresponsible' over baths reopening but councillor says MP 'should be standing with us'

Cllr Jeffrey said: “The key bit of this motion is what happens in the meantime and whether we will repair and reopen Eston baths.

“At the beginning of this week baths across the country opened following the Covid lockdown, but not the baths in Eston and for the 38,000 people living in the area.

“If this administration has their way they are going to stay closed.”

READ MORE: Cost of repairs to dilapidated swimming pool building now put at nearly £3m - 'more feasible to demolish the building and construct a new one'

She said Eston amateur swimming club, who are based at the baths, had seen its membership drop from 130 to 80 during the continued closure.

She said: “It is continuing to fall because people can’t make it to Redcar without transport.

“There are loads of examples of children and residents losing out.”

Grangetown ward Councillor Lynn Pallister, who seconded the motion, said there was a clear need for swimming provision in Eston.

She said: “How does the leader, cabinet and ruling group of councillors think the people of Grangetown, South Bank, Eston, Teesville and Normanby feel when they see millions of pounds going into Redcar and East Cleveland when thousands of children and adults many of whom live on low incomes are denied swimming facilities for what now looks like a total of three years minimum?

“We want everyone to come together and try and get the baths open.”

Cllr Pallister accused the council of presiding over a “complete shambles” and having a disregard for the local population in the area.

The motion failed when Councillor Steve Kay, the council’s cabinet member for health, housing and welfare won majority support for an amendment to it.

The amendment, which then became the substantive motion, stated: “As a recent [inspection] report shows that repairing Eston baths is neither structurally nor financially viable this council agrees to immediately start work to provide a new Eston swimming baths that is fit for the future, meets the needs of local communities and provides high quality swimming and leisure facilities close to where people live.”

Cllr Kay said Cllr Jeffrey’s preferred option would bind the council to paying £3m on repairs to the pool building and simultaneously having to spend up to £5m on a new facility – and neither would be ready to open in the next 12 months.

He said: “We have a fiduciary duty – a contract – with residents and council tax payers’ to spend money prudently and wisely.”

“This would be £3m down the drain.”

Labour group leader Councillor Carl Quartermain said: “I can safely say that under a Labour council the funding would be made available for this facility and it would be still functioning.

“I cannot believe that a report recommending a repair was pulled by the administration and we need more information on the decision making around that.”

But attacking Labour over its previous stewardship of the pool building when it was last in charge of the council, Cllr Lanigan said its current state was “shocking”.

She said: This pool should have been looked at years ago.

“You have got asbestos in there – why was it not dealt with?

“The people of Eston deserve better and that is what this administration is going to do.”

Guisborough independent Councillor Bill Clark said Cllr Jeffrey’s motion was “just a vote grabber”.

He said: “It is common knowledge that these baths have had problems before and that was when the Labour administration was in charge so why did they not invest in them when they had the chance?

“They invested in a new leisure facility for Redcar, a new walled garden in Kirkleatham which went about £2m over budget, a new cinema for Redcar and let’s not even talk about the Redcar Beacon.”

Liberal Democrat Councillor Glyn Nightingale, the council’s cabinet member for resources, said Cllr Jeffrey’s motion was not rational and did not provide value for money.

He said: “There comes a time when a sticking plaster is not enough.

“A replacement should come first, not the repairs, and the sooner the better that would be a real boon.”

And Councillor Mary Ovens, another Liberal Democrat and cabinet member, said: “We’ve seen that quite expensive repairs in the past have been ineffective.

“We don’t know the exact condition [of the pool building] until work has been undertaken and the costs could escalate as could the timescale.

“I want to see a good facility for the people in the Eston area as soon as possible.”

The substantive motion was eventually passed by the council with 44 members voting for it and three abstaining, including Cllr Jeffrey.

Cllr Kay said: “This should be a time for rejoicing rather than squabbling among each other.

“We are making a decision to open a new swimming pool for Eston – let’s look at the bright side of life rather than whining about wanting things that are unattainable.

“We cannot spend on something that isn’t giving us value for money at the point of delivery.”

Councillor Julie Craig, who is an independent in Skelton East ward, said: “Let’s stop all this bickering, the accusations and hearsay and work together and get this done for the people of the borough.”

Cllr Pallister asked if the council could meet with the swimming club and local schools to discuss what support could be available in the interim until a pool became available.

Councillor Philip Thomson, leader of the Cleveland independent group, also said a programme of support was needed so that those who could not walk to another facility or could not afford a bus could take advantage of organised transport.

He said: “There needs to be a commitment towards addressing those residents who would suffer from further deprivation from not having a pool in the interim.”

Cllr Kay said the council could try to do something involving assisting people who needed transporting to another facility, but would “not make decisions on the hoof”.

Special permission was granted for the council meeting to continue after it neared a third hour.

But despite the extension all matters could not be heard with another Labour motion on a cyber attack incident at the authority running out of time to be read.