Moving Shrewsbury swimming pool from Quarry 'would be ludicrous'
Moving Shrewsbury's swimming pool would be "ludicrous", the town's mayor has insisted.
Councillor Miles Kenny believes the pool at The Quarry will be kept where it is and expects a decision to be made on its future before 2017.
It comes after Shropshire Council announced that 68 per cent of the 1,924 people who responded to its five-month consultation favoured retaining a pool at the current Quarry site.
A proposal to move the pool to Shrewsbury Sports Village in Sundorne, which has been criticised by councillors, businesses and The Quarry Swimming and Fitness Forum, was preferred by only 16 per cent of those who responded.
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.
Councillor Kenny, who was at the 12th annual gala organised by Shrewsbury Masters Swimming Club at the pool at the weekend, said: "I don't think it will close and it would be ludicrous to move it.
"If it moves to Sundorne there would be less car parking spaces.
"There are other sporting events there so there won't be enough spaces for swimmers. It means people will end up parking on the streets around Sundorne.
"There is the issue with public transport as well.
"We will have to see what happens but I think common sense will prevail."
Bernard Wills, chairman of the Quarry Swimming and Fitness Forum, said: "One concern with moving it out of town is that it won't be as beneficial to town businesses.
"If they build a new one it won't be to the capacity that this pool has got.
"They need to make a decision to put people's minds at rest."
Alison Wilson, Shrewsbury Masters Swimming Club member, said: "We want it to stay here and other people feel the same."
Shropshire Council will now look to appoint a company to carry out further analysis on the consultation responses.
A selection of preferred options will then be considered by the authority's cabinet in spring, with a final option expected to be confirmed by the end of the year.
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.
