Shrewsbury swimming pool could still move out of town centre, council leader says

Councillor Malcolm Pate, who represents Albrighton, said the affordability and revenue costs of the pool will be important considerations when the authority decides which option to pursue.

He warned the project could be deferred completely if the money is not available to proceed.

Councillor Pate said: "There are several aspects to coming to a conclusion – one is listening to what the consultation says and another is affordability and the need to generate revenue."

The findings of public consultation released on Friday concluded that there is "strong feeling" that the pool should remain in Shrewsbury town centre.

Alternative options put forward by the council include the creation of a new pool at Shrewsbury Sports Village in Sundorne.

In the initial council projections Shrewsbury Sports Village was the only option predicted to run at a profit.

Councillor Pate said the authority needed to spend its capital on projects that would generate revenue for the authority.

He said: "It may be that we are prioritising our capital expenditure to generate revenue for the budget coming years. It may be that if there is a revenue case for it then we can talk about capital funding.

"What capital we have, we have to turn into revenue, it is a case of how that fits in with what the public want."

George Candler, Shropshire Council's director of commissioning, said the council is still considering all seven initial options for a new pool site as it puts together a formal recommendation for the cabinet in July.

He also echoed the thoughts of Councillor Pate and said that affordability is an "important factor".

He said: "The response to the consultation clearly highlights the importance of swimming to people in Shrewsbury and the surrounding area.

"There are still seven options in the mix and officers are now looking at the results of the consultation and doing detailed work around some of the key areas that people expressed concern over – particularly the number of pools in any new build, the accessibility of alternative sites in terms of public transport, and the economic impact on the town centre should a decision be made to relocate."

"We're doing detailed work around these areas and continuing to talk to key stakeholders – especially Shrewsbury BID, Quarry Forum and Shrewsbury Town Council, who have all fed back their thoughts.

"Cabinet will then make a final decision based on the information presented to them."