Tensions flared after a council meeting in Northern Ireland this week after Aontú accused the SDLP of trying to 'hold up' refurbishment works on a highly anticipated leisure facility.
Members of the Derry City and Strabane District Council gave the green light to improvement works at the iconic William Street Baths in the Bogside on October 27.
It emerged in recent months that the cost of the renovation works for the leisure facility has soared to £1m despite original budgets showing it would cost £600,000.
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A report to council members in June of this year said the "overall financial requirement will only be known when contractor tender returns have been received and assessed".
A spokesperson for DCSDC said at the time that the tender exercise had been completed and that an updated report would be brought before councillors. That report was seen by DCSDC members on October 27 and was approved.
Speaking after the decision, Aontú Cllr Emmet Doyle said he welcomed the decision by the SDLP to "reverse its position" of deferring approval for support for essential works in City Baths.
He said: “In the last few weeks the SDLP refused to allow works to progress at City Baths despite its public position backing the work.
"Works at City Baths are essential to bring the building to a position where it can re-open.
"Aontú committed, as did many others, that they would support spending the money required on bringing this to fruition but the SDLP, partnering with Unionist parties, u-turned and refused to move the project forward.
"At full council on Thursday night the matter was brought into open business and the SDLP u-turned on its original u-turn in the fresh light of day and backed allowing works to go ahead.
"City Baths are an essential piece of infrastructure for many people and it is only right that we ensure it is fit for purpose going forward.”
However, hitting back at Cllr Doyle's claims, SDLP councillor Brian Tierney said that "populism won’t deliver on the issues that matter for people in Derry".
“The SDLP has always been committed to seeing improvement works carried out at City Baths and have previously fought hard against the closure of this facility or the moving of it to another location, he said.
"We fully support the improvement works and the eventual redevelopment of the site to establish a first-class facility for people in this area.
“Given the large financial commitment from the council to carry out these improvement works I had requested it to be brought before the council’s Financial Working Group to understand the impact it could have on rates increases.
"This would have taken a short time, and given the huge pressure people in this city are under as a result of the cost of living emergency, I think it’s vitally important that we do everything we can to help them and avoid placing another financial burden in the form of a rates increase.
“Councillor Doyle would be better off working to address the problems impacting people in our communities than chasing headlines and attempting to twist the SDLP’s well-established positions.
"Everyone in this city knows how committed we are to seeing better facilities put in place for the local community and while others engage in point-scoring we’ll continue working to tackle the issues that matter.”
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