Sandwell Council leader Darren Cooper has come under fire after announcing a plan to close Langley Swimming Baths in Oldbury - two weeks after the local elections.

The council leader wants to close Langley Baths, Hadley Stadium, Thimblemill Pool and the Harry Mitchell Leisure Centre to make way for a purpose built new multi-million pound leisure complex in Smethwick.

Though in it’s early stages the plan has already risked the ire of councillors including Abbey ward Councillor Bob Piper who was not informed of the plan before it was publicised.

The two took to social networking site Twitter to have a spat about who knew what and when about the new leisure centre plan including the deputy leader Councillor Steve Eling.

Sandwell Leader Cllr Cooper said: “We are not talking about closing anything until we build a new centre just up the road but it is not going happen yet.

“We will have a consultation and see what the people think first.”

Cllr Cooper believes the new “all singing, all dancing” leisure complex will be more value for money than maintaining the four leisure centres earmarked for closure.

However, the closure of Langley Swimming Baths, has put Councillor Cooper on collision course with a quarter of the official opposition on Sandwell Council - Langley Independent Socialist Councillor Mick Davies.

Cllr Davies has already launched the Save Langley Baths campaign complete with new Facebook page.

Cllr Davies pulled no punches when the News asked for a comment about his former leader’s plan.

He said: “Barely two weeks after the local elections and elected mayoral referenda it seems the leader has indeed assumed an elected mayoral role.

“How else could you explain the decision reported last week to build a new Leisure Centre in Smethwick at the expense of four other centres including Langley Swimming Centre.

“There has been no consultation with users or local councillors in either of the areas, given that the Deputy Leader responsible for Council budget represents Abbey Ward it seems a strange decision indeed. “ And Cllr Davies pointed to the ambition of Cllr Cooper to become an MP as a possible reason for the Smethwick plans.

He said: “Councillor Cooper’s consuming ambition to oust John Spellar MP seems to be blinding him to the needs of participatory democracy.

“It seems from the outside that he is either taking these decisions himself or his circle of sages is so secret that no one knows who they are.”

He added: “The Leader of the Council urges on his blog to visit the Sandwell Council scorecard web page, I did: under a ‘New Deal for Smethwick’ no mention of a new leisure Centre for Smethwick nor to closure of swimming centres.

“There is also a heading ‘local people, local services’ as well as the ‘customer is always right’, however, these lofty ideals seems to have passed Councillor Cooper by.” “I urge all users, sports clubs and local councillors to come together and fight any plans to close Langley Swimming Centre.”