A NEWLY-ELECTED member of Lichfield City Council says a new leisure centre will create a bright future for the area.
John Madden won the Curborough seat at a by-election after it was vacated by Lichfield’s Labour MP Dave Robertson.
He becomes the second Reform UK councillor on Lichfield City Council after Dean Robertson won in Stowe ward earlier this year.
Cllr Madden said the development of the new leisure centre at Stychbrook Park showed that Curborough ward had a bright future.
He said:
“I’m incredibly proud to support the development of the brand new Stychbrook Park Leisure Centre on Curborough Road which is set to open in December 2025.
“This isn’t just a leisure centre – it’s an investment in the health, happiness and future of our community.
“From a full-size swimming pool and modern gym to outdoor pitches and space for classes and clubs, this new facility will offer something for everyone.
“This project has been driven by local voices and local needs – and as a newly-elected city councillor, I’ll continue to back plans like this that put Curborough first.
“The future’s looking bright in Curborough.”
Lichfield District Council is developing the new leisure centre at Stychbrook Park as the long-term replacement for Friary Grange Leisure Centre.
I am looking forward to using the leisure centre when it opens. I hope it is affordable for all. I would like to see a adults swimming could take a child under the age of ten FREE, at Burntwood charges for swimming are Adult £5.00 and child £3.00 There are too many children unable to swim these days. learning to swim is a great form of exercise and could one day save a life.
No way did Cllr Madden pen that quote himself. Anyone who’s seen his comments on LL know that he writes like a dog’s stolen his phone.
No sports hall, no racket courts, football pitch not full sized. A totally wasted opportunity. The Conservatives thought it would help them win back LDC but since LDC is now to be abolished it won’t benefit them. People are voting on national issues locally now.
Sorry to be negative but these things should be done to full specification. It is not like there is any space to increase provision in the future. Why do councils get things so wrong? It is a swimming pool and gym and you get those at those hotels.
Is there some distribution of wealth or ‘levelling up’ agenda with this new leisure facility? As I understand it, it’s located at the side of the rat-run from the A38 to Rugeley. I for one won’t be running the risk of going there.
After trying to read his illiterate nonsense on X, there’s no chance he wrote the above statement.
Apparently,
“We are in ressetion
@UKLabour
@Keir_Starmer
Watch #ressetion
@UKLabour
You have done it properly now.The R down turn wrong is wrong watch”.
Ooo it’s like Johnson reborn.blessed are we.
Good heavens, the anti Reform crybabies are stamping their feet again and now Councillor Madden is the target even though it’s barely been just over a week since Reform thrashed all of the other useless parties to gain power.
Totally agree RFW. It’s a typical Lichfield half-baked project.
And there we were thinking there would be a difference. Residents surrounding this monstrosity didn’t want it; there were far better locations. Councillors ruined our green parkland whilst not even discussing concerns with those affected. Noise, dust, ecology destroyed, the list is endless and still not a single Councillor or prospective candidate knocked on doors to discuss, just shoved leaflets through letterboxes. Friary Grange was built and paid for as a local facility and that is how it should have remained. Second pool built years ago was eventually scrapped after lack of use but strange how no Councillors remember this waste of yet more money.
All useless and only interested in themselves.
Well the local population were not consulted. It is a green park lost to free use. And the ‘leasure’ development is cheap and rubbish. Depressing!!!
Sad to say that that the building of the new centre is causing disruption to us local residents as predicted.
“Scotto” is agitated by this Reform representative seeming to be a target of criticism, but the views that have been expressed by this new Councillor at Lichfield City Council are utterly vacuous. The body he has been elected to has not had a scintilla of input to the development that he is referring to. So why even utter such views under his political banner ?
Just interested, is this the same newly appointed Councillor who has a Facebook profile going by the name of “Fred Butlin”, it looks very much like him. As a curborough resident I wish him luck in his new political career.
I’ve said this before and will say it again. Stop lying to the people of Lichfield, it is NOT a replacement for Friary Grange. No sports hall, badminton courts, indoor 5 aside, netball court, squash courts or gymnastics area. It’s also in the wrong place. No buses after 6 pm. No buses on a Sunday. Not enough parking for the projected user numbers. As for now, we have the window cleaners coming twice as often and we need regular visits to the car wash because of the dust from the works. And, all this time and we have seen hide nor hair of our reform representative.