© South Wales Evening Post - 11 August 2005
City council leaders are running scared after calls for an investigation into the Pool Sanctuary deal, according to Swansea's Labour councillors. They have dismissed a suggestion that the presiding officer, Lib Dem councillor Susan Waller, carry out the investigation into the signing of the £50,000-a-year, 10-year lease for the former pool hall in The Kingsway, demanding instead an independent inquiry.
The old Labour-run administration signed the deal hoping to use the building as a new home for the city centre Activa gym - lost when Swansea Leisure Centre closed in November 2003.
But they lost power days later and the plans were later dropped by the Lib Dem led-coalition which said it would cost up to £1 million to adapt.
It leaves the city paying the rent plus £12,000 a year in rates for a building the council has failed to lease on.
Labour councillors were to table a motion today calling for a full public investigation into the reasons behind the decision to abandon the plans, which they say were backed by officers.An attempt by the Post to see the documents was denied by the council.
A challenge is being lodged.
Labour leader David Phillips said: "The ruling Liberal Democrat, Independent and Conservative coalition made great political play over the Pool Sanctuary. Now they seem to be running scared.
"We are not going to settle for anything other than an independent investigation." But the Lib Dem, Independent and Conservative coalition has hit back.
Councillor Rene Kinzett, spokesman for the LIC coalition, said: "It is a shocking piece of political opportunism and characteristic hypocrisy for Labour to now be calling for an investigation.
"The old Labour-run council did not do its homework on the state and suitability of the Pool Sanctuary before they signed a lease to use it as a gym.
"Labour were happy to rush into taking the lease as part of a quick political fix, the Swansea administration will not waste more taxpayers' money."
