Could school get new pool?

1:39pm Wednesday 2nd July 2008

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Two school governors said they would welcome a new swimming pool being built at their school if Bramston Sports Centre was to be knocked down.

Business leaders in Witham have been seeking clarification over the future of the town's Bramston Sports Centre.

The concerns came after a new swimming centre opened in Braintree and the John Bramston School - which shares use of the sports centre - was set to turn into an academy.

The school, which it is believed will be taken out of special measures next week, is set to get the go ahead to become an academy along with The Rickstones School.

As part of the proposals both schools would be modernised and rebuilt.

Phil Barlow, chairman of governors at The Rickstones School, said if there are opportunities, either through the academy process or through some other arrangement with the district council, to provide up-to-date sports facilities at Rickstones then he would in principle welcome them.

Mr Barlow, who is also a town councillor, said: "There's very little by way of leisure and sports facilities in the north area of town and if that's one of the areas that land could be made available to build I don't think the school would say no.

"If Braintree council were to liquidate Bramston Sports Centre the people of Witham would want to see the money they would get from that used to provide sports facilities in Witham, it should be earmarked as such and not flitted away in their general fund.

"It would potentially provide two different sports and leisure areas because at John Bramston School there would be a sports specialism and they will have, as I understand it, up-to-date sports facilities during the day and they could be used by the community during the evening."

Bob Evans, a governor at The Rickstones School, said no plans were in place for a sports facility at The Rickstones School but "Bramston Sports Centre is coming to an end and Rickstones has plenty of land."

Dr Evans, who also represents Witham north on Braintree District Council, said: "If the Bramston Sports Centre site was cleared it would be valuable so it could pay for the pool in the same way the Braintree pool has been made by the assets from the closure of Riverside - Braintree pool has more or less been paid for by the realisation from other assets."