Shrewsbury's Quarry pool must be rebuilt, say readers
Shrewsbury's Quarry Pool should be rebuilt – but opinion is divided as to where, according the results of the Shropshire Star's poll.
We asked our readers to vote on whether the town centre public baths should be spruced up, refurbished, rebuilt or moved to a new site.
Around 1,500 responded to our online poll and the results show the majority of people want the pool to be rebuilt.
But it was a close call between whether the pool is rebuilt at its town centre site or elsewhere.
A total of 37 per cent of voters chose for the pool to be rebuilt somewhere other than its current location, while 34 per cent want it to be rebuilt where it is.
And 24 per cent of voters opted for a major overhaul while only five per cent wanted the wash-and-go option.
The majority of people – 63 per cent – chose options that would allow the pool to remain where it is.
The findings of our online poll come ahead of the start of the council's three-month consultation next month.
Shropshire Council has been considering a number of ideas to address the town's swimming facilities since July last year and has commissioned a leisure firm to draw up a series of ideas.
It is understood that two options would see the Quarry pool refurbished – one giving it a minor "wash and brush up" refurbishment, and another a more extensive programme that would include replacement boilers and heating pipes.
Two other options will also be considered – one where a new facility is built on the existing Quarry site but with two pools instead of three, and another where a new pool is built in the Battlefield area, possibly at Sundorne Retail Park.
In July last year Shropshire Council agreed to move forward with a detailed review of how to provide swimming facilities for Shrewsbury.
The decision was taken because the Quarry pool is in need of work to bring it up to date.
A three-week survey on the issue was conducted before Christmas and more than 1,100 people responded with their feelings on the current facilities.
At the latest meeting of the Severn Loop Forum, members were told that respondents to the survey had criticised the Quarry pool's current condition and temperature of the water.
But people also raised the importance of any pool being situated in the town centre, along with concerns about access for parking.
Clive Beddows, 72, a retired farmer at Adcote Farm in Little Ness said: "I've a granddaughter of six who has just completed her 200 metres badge at this pool.
"I used to live in Baschurch but now as an active community worker in Herefordshire I support efforts to raise money or to keep open facilities for young people.
"I think it would be a pity to move it from this position because I'm a traditionalist in wanting to keep things in the town centre rather than everything moving out.
"Also the Quarry itself offers excellent facilities with this lovely green area as well."
Fi Blakemore, 59, of Hope Valley, Minsterley said: "My son who has learning disabilities uses the Quarry pool weekly and has done for about15 years so obviously there needs to be a pool in some shape or form.
"It doesn't really make much difference to us whether the pool is located in the town centre or not because we live about 11 miles out of town.
"It's used a lot but if it's not rebuilt it does need sprucing up.
"The disabled changing rooms are really unpleasant and it's really quite a faff to get to them."
