Club chairman backs MP's plans for new Shrewsbury swimming pool
The chairman of a swimming club has backed the idea of a new pool being built in Shrewsbury town centre.
Bernard Wills, chairman of Shrewsbury Masters Swimming Club, said he would be in favour of an improved facility being created in the town centre to replace the current pool at the Quarry leisure centre.
His comments come after Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski suggested the leisure centre could be knocked down and replaced with a five-star hotel, provided an "updated and improved" replacement was created elsewhere.
Mr Wills said a new pool could be a good idea, as long as it was in the town centre, an improvement on the current facility and opened before the existing leisure centre is knocked down.
The masters club has been running for more than 20 years and has about 170 members who train several times a week at the Quarry pool, in addition to using Shrewsbury School facilities once a week.
Mr Wills said the Quarry pool and changing rooms need improvement.
"The pool is in need of bringing up to modern standards, it does need refurbishing," he said.
But he added any potential replacement should not be out-of-town, with the location of the current centre one of its best features.
"The important thing for many people is that it is centrally located. People can walk their or ride on their bikes," he said.
He said he would support a new facility "as long as it was done before the old one was closed down" and was up to competition standards.
Mr Wills and other members of local swimming clubs are due to meet Mr Kawczynski in early January. It comes after the MP called for the current leisure centre to be demolished and make way for a five-star hotel to help tourism in Shrewsbury.
