Does Bradford have £15m for a new pool? It depends on which politician you ask

Bradford Council could have an extra £15m to spend on projects of its own choosing - including the possible reopening of a much loved swimming pool.

But then again, it might not.

The confusion has arisen after Shipley MP Anna Dixon received an intriguing letter from a government minister, raising fresh hopes that Bingley Pool, which was closed in 2020, could reopen its doors.

The letter suggests that £14.6m of Levelling Up cash originally given to Bradford Council for a new leisure centre in Girlington, plans for which were scrapped this summer, could instead be spent on other schemes of the authority's own choosing.

It had originally been thought that the cash would have to be handed back by the council to the government after the leisure centre plans were cancelled.

But the letter to Dixon from Jim McMahon MP, minister for local government, devolution and regional growth, suggests that may well not be the case

In the letter, McMahon tells Dixon that "responsibility for decisions on the use of funding has been devolved to local authorities".

"Local authorities now have flexibility to manage their funding portfolios, including making decisions on project changes, cancellations and the prioritisation of alternative investments within their area," he explains.

His department "no longer has a formal approval role in individual project changes and authorities are expected to undertake their own local assurance and decision-making processes", McMahon adds.

With that in mind, Dixon has called on Bradford Council's Reform UK administration to act on campaigners' wishes and use some of the government money to bring back Bingley Pool - which is estimated to cost £8.6m.

"Why not Bingley Pool? What else are they wanting to spend that money on?" she asks.

Dixon claims she shared the letter, which has been seen by the BBC, with Bradford Council on 9 September.

But the authority's Reform UK leadership begs to differ.

It says "no advice has been received from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to that effect".

Councillor Stephen Place, Reform leader of Bradford Council, says Dixon has made "false claims".

He adds that "claims Bradford Council has existing funding available to spend on Bingley Pool are categorically untrue".

Bradford Council received £14.6m of Levelling Up funding from government for the Squire Lane leisure centre.

However, in July, it voted to scrap the project, which was estimated at £32.9m in total, because of its cost.

Bingley Pool, which was built in 1927, closed in 2020 due to structural issues during the Covid lockdowns.

In 2022, The Friends of Bingley Pool submitted a bid to the then Conservative government for Levelling Up funding, but were unsuccessful.

In March 2024, that decision was overturned and a separate £14.5m was announced for the project.

But following Labour's win in the May 2024 election, recently awarded funds were cancelled by central government - including the money for Bingley Pool.

In September 2025, the Levelling Up Fund became the Local Regeneration Fund.

Since then Bingley Pool has remained closed with no funding.

But when it was announced the Squire Lane leisure centre project was to be cancelled, hopes were renewed that some of that money could come to Bingley.

Reopening Bingley Pool is estimated to cost £8.6m. But all parties agree there will be further costs involved to keep it running.

Dixon says she cannot understand why Bradford Council does not want to fund Bingley Pool.

"Why not Bingley Pool? What else are they wanting to spend that money on?," she says.

"Here's a prime project that is actually ready to go, that's got huge public support and it would increase swimming facilities for Bradford district.

"We are an area compared to the rest of the country that has an under-provision of swimming.

"While I'm sorry to see the Reform UK council make the decision they did about Squire Lane, I think there are other projects that meet similar criteria such as Bingley Pool that they should be reinvesting that money in."

Stephen Place, Reform leader of Bradford Council, says Dixon has made "inaccurate criticisms".

A statement from Reform says it has provided "strong support" to the Friends of Bingley Pool.

Earlier this month, Place said the council had paused the sale of Bingley Pool, but the facility had "no role in the council's future sport and leisure strategy".

There was "no proposal to spend additional budget on it", he added.

Place claims "no advice has been received from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government" regarding the future of the Squire Lane funding.

"It is unfortunate that our critics are now seeking political gain, not the good of local people.," he says.

"Claims that Bradford Council has existing funding available to spend on Bingley Pool are categorically untrue."

The Friends of Bingley Pool group was founded in 2015, and since the pool's closure has led the campaign to save it.

Jeremy Thackray, the group's chair, says: "Clearly there are contradictions that need straightening out.

"We are concerned these contradictions will continue if the groups involved continue communicating via press releases, social media, or off-the-record discussions.

"We encourage all stakeholders to convene a regular series of meetings, with all the players at the table, until the truth of this issue is determined."

The Friends have also asked for a Project Board to avoid "the problems of claim and counter-claim that we're seeing now", Thackray says.

"All parties campaigned at the last election for a solution to the Bingley Pool question, and all parties should join forces to solve it, for the good of the town and district."

Bradford swimmers have a choice of six council-run pools.

They are:

• Keighley Leisure Centre
• Shipley Pool
• Sedbergh Leisure Centre
• Ilkley Pool and Lido
• Eccleshill Pool
• Bowling Pool

In the last two decades, facilities in Manningham, Rhodesway and Bingley have all closed, as well as the Richard Dunn Sports Centre in Odsal.

Only Sedbergh has since been opened.

Without facilities at Squire Lane in Girlington or Bingley Pool, Bradford has the equivalent of one council-run pool for every 95,000 residents.

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