Sports village to replace Shrewsbury's Quarry Pool?

A multi-million pound swimming pool could be built at Shrewsbury's Sports Village as a replacement for the town's Quarry pool, a council leisure chief said today.

Councillor Stephen Charmley, Shropshire Council cabinet member for leisure, said the £10 million venue was the "obvious" site to consider if an out-of-town replacement was the preferred choice.

He said building it on land next to the Sports Village in Sundorne Road would also cut costs as there would be no need to create new changing or gym facilities. Mr Charmley said there was also extensive car parking.

Shropshire Council and the former Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council spent three years discussing the future of the current pool site but officials today said they were still a long way off making a decision.

Three options have previously been suggested including a refurbishment of the Quarry pool costing about £9.6 million, a demolition and rebuild for about £7.75 million or building an "out of town" site at a cost of about £7.6 million

However, Mr Charmley said these figures were now out-of-date and he has commissioned officers to draw up a new report with full costings to be ready in about six months.

He said he wanted a "clear way forward" to be decided as soon as possible.