Residents have their say on Commonwealth Games aquatics centre site plans in Smethwick
More than 100 residents living near a proposed Commonwealth Games aquatic centre in the Black Country have had their say on the plans.
Sandwell Council recently wrote to hundreds of people living in properties close to the Londonderry Playing Fields, in Smethwick.
The residents were given a leaflet detailing outline plans for the site – which will include a football pitch, changing facilities, improved green space and a children's play area, as well as an Olympic-sized competition swimming pool, diving pool and community pool.
The layout for the 2022 Commonwealth Games facility, which will later be used as a new leisure centre for the borough, was recently unveiled by council bosses. The aquatics centre will stage swimming and diving events at the 2022 Games and showcase the Black Country to the watching world.
The council received more than 100 responses with concerns raised including improving local roads and public transport, providing enough parking spaces to avoid impact on surrounding roads, and keeping trees around the site and creating paths for people to enjoy walking and running.
The results of the engagement exercise with local residents will be used to help address priority issues when formal public consultation on the development launches in December.
Councillor Bill Gavan, cabinet member for leisure, said: "I would like to thank residents who took the time to give us their views on the new aquatics centre in Smethwick. We welcome the comments and we will be taking them on board.
“We are really pleased with the positive feedback we received from local residents and will continue to work with everyone throughout this project to keep them informed.
"People will have another opportunity to have their say on the proposed development during the formal planning consultation next month.
“We are very excited about the new Smethwick Aquatics Centre which will give local people access to world-class sporting facilities and leave a lasting legacy for Sandwell and its residents for generations to come.”
A full planning application is expected before the end of the year.
Once the competition is over it will be opened to the public as a leisure centre, with people to be given a say over what facilities are included.
For more information, visit www.sandwell.gov.uk/aquaticscentre.
