The public consultation over the future of Daisyfield Pools in Blackburn, the controversial closure of which was confirmed earlier this month, is now open.

The four-week exercise was launched today by Blackburn with Darwen Council following its executive board rubber stamping shutting the swimming complex at its meeting on September 7.

The senior councillors backed the closure despite an impassioned plea by Shelley Whitehead from HalfFISH, which has operated the building since 2016, to keep the pools open.

The Daisyfield Pools building has been closed since Saturday, August 19, due to serious health and safety concerns including the presence of legionella bacteria.

Now borough health boss Councillor Damian Talbot, who learnt to swim there, has asked anyone who would like to express their views on the closure or the building's future to complete Blackburn with Darwen Council’s online survey.

The survey is available on the authority's website until Sunday, October 15.

Following the end of the consultation a comprehensive report on it findings will be produced for consideration by borough's executive board councillors on November 9.

Anyone who doesn’t have online access can get support to complete the survey online on computers at libraries across Blackburn with Darwen, or request a paper form from the authority's libraries.

On Wednesday, September 20, between 9.30am and 4.30pm a computer with the online survey available will be staffed at Little Harwood Community Centre.

Residents can call in between these times to get support completing the survey online.

Cllr Talbot said: “We appreciate that the closure of Daisyfield Pool has impacted various groups of pool users, and that this community feel strongly about this decision.

“We have committed to listening fully to their views, which is why we’re launching this four-week public consultation.

“As well as being able to complete an online survey – and anyone can do that without the need to set up an account on the council website – we have also put in place arrangements for people to get support to fill it in at local libraries and at Little Harwood Community Centre. Paper copies of the survey are also available.

“We have also written to the headteachers of schools that use Daisyfield Pools for swimming lessons, to give them the opportunity to share their views.”

Cllr Talbot told this month's executive board the council could not afford the £71,000 needed to refurbish the pool plant and £3.1million more required for wider building repairs to keep the pools operational in the short term.