Now focus on pool in Shrewsbury Quarry, Shropshire Council is urged
A group representing businesses in Shrewsbury says Shropshire Council should start planning to keep the town's pool at its current location.
Kirsten Henley, manager of Shrewsbury's Business Improvement District (BID), said the strong feedback to the council's five-month swimming pool consultation should "focus minds" on it remaining in the town centre.
She said: "We have serious concerns about the future location of Quarry Swimming Pool and the economic impact any move out of the town would have on Shrewsbury town centre.
"While we welcome the findings, which clearly show the Quarry site as a preferred location, some further analysis and modelling now needs to be carried out.
"We're pleased the council is taking more time to look in detail at the response and hope that this strong consultation feedback helps to focus minds on planning for the pool to stay part of the town centre's broader leisure offer."
This week Shropshire Council revealed more than two thirds of the 1,924 people who responded to the consultation preferred an option located at The Quarry Swimming and Fitness Centre. A proposal to move the pool to Shrewsbury Sports Village in Sundorne was preferred by only 16 per cent.
The Quarry respondents were split between three options for the site – 22 per cent for a new build, 23 per cent for a refurbishment, and 21 per cent for a more considerable upgrade.
Ms Henley said: "Whether the existing pool is upgraded or a new one built, we feel it must remain in the town centre because of its social and economic benefits."
George Candler, the council's director of commissioning, said the public view would be taken into account but he would not rule out other options.
He said: "At the moment there is a high proportion of people who want to keep it where it is, but none of those three options provide the same level of initial savings the other options do, and as a local authority at these difficult times we have to factor in a range of considerations, but finance is not the only one."
Shropshire Council is to appoint a company to analyse the consultation data. A final decision is expected before the end of the year.
