Swimming pool plans revealed

A state-of-the-art leisure centre will be built in Shrewsbury’s Quarry park under major plans by Shropshire Council.

The authority has been consulting on the future of the town’s swimming pool for the past three years, with a potential move to base the pool out of town dropped.

Now the council has unveiled plans to house the new leisure centre on the site of the current pool building  – with a completely new building the favoured option.

And Councillor Lezley Picton, portfolio holder for Culture and Leisure, said she is excited by the plans which she said can transform the quarry park and bring it in to the future.

She said: “These are such exciting plans and it is my gut feeling that it will be a complete rebuild on the current site.

“We will be inviting cutting edge designers to submit their proposals to us and we will choose the best design.

“We want to create something that will bring people to Shrewsbury from away, as far as the Black Country.

“We want a state-of-the-art pool that will be cutting edge by the standards of four years into the future, not cutting edge now.

“This is a chance to transform the area. We can have food and beverage space and I can see in my head tables with umbrellas on the steps down to the Quarry.

“We can have office and conference space and we can make it a real focal point of the whole town. I am very excited.”

The recommendation to re-build on the current site will be presented to Shropshire Council’s cabinet at a meeting next week and work on a £500,000 feasibility plan will begin immediately.

Mark Barrow, executive director of place for the council, added: “If cabinet approve our plans we will press the button straight away and begin work.

“The study will start and we would hope to have the new pool open in about three years. Four years would be worst case scenario.”

Mr Barrow said plans are in place for when the current pool closes for the work.

“We have sites in mind for basing a temporary pool,” he said.

“The people of Shrewsbury will not go without a pool for three years. This has happened in some authority areas and it won’t happen here.

“We are looking at a number of sites currently, including Sundorne Sports Village.

“If this pool proved a success and was financially viable it could also remain after the new pool opens and then the town will have two.

“At the moment we are open to everything and want to look at everything we can.”

Councillor Picton added: “It really is a very exciting time and while it probably has taken us a while to get to this stage we are now ready to go and it is very close to getting under way.”

She said the current site is not fit for purpose and the cost of repairs was not viable.

No final cost has been confirmed for the project.