Options back on the table for Shrewsbury swimming pool
It was 2015 when Shropshire Council confirmed it was seriously looking at a new swimming pool for Shrewsbury to replace the ageing building in the Quarry.
But since then plans, suggestions and consultation exercises for what will happen, have been beset by controversy and delays, which has led up to the report to go before Shropshire Council’s cabinet next week.
The surprise move has come after noises from new council leader Peter Nutting, who took over in May, that he wanted to re-examine town centre sites. This was despite the previous administration agreeing last year that it wanted to close the pool at the Quarry and to build a replacement at Sundorne, unless an outside community group could come up with a viable plan to keep the pool in the town centre.
The new report, by George Candler, Shropshire Council’s director of place and enterprise, says: “In view of the public interest in the retention of a town centre location cabinet confirmed that any interested organisations who wishes to do so is given the opportunity to develop alternative business case proposals to retain swimming provision at the Quarry or other town centre location.
“Following the recent change of council administration the council intends to carry out a review of the different location options for the future provision of swimming in the town centre of Shrewsbury.
“It is proposed that, pending the outcomes of this review, the current process for the submission of full business cases is stopped and that interested organisations are alerted accordingly.
“A final recommendation on the preferred location for future swimming provision in Shrewsbury will be subject to a further cabinet report in due course.”
The current building dates back to the late 1960s, though there have been baths at Shrewsbury Quarry since the 1860s.
In 2014 rumours abounded that Shropshire Council was looking at demolishing and selling off the site and instead building a replacement on the outskirts of town, but it wasn’t until May 2015 that a range of options were presented to the public, from maintaining the current building where it is to moving to a variety of new sites.
That consultation was then extended after questions over financial figures, while marches and protests took place over keeping it at its current site.
But despite the protests Shropshire Council agreed the recommendation of Shrewsbury Sports Village, Sundorne, as the preferred location for a new pool, though then conceded a 12 month period for a community group to come up with an alternative plan to make a town centre site work.
However, even that hit controversy as The Quarry Swimming and Fitness Forum, a group campaigning to keep the pool where it is, pulled out of the process earlier this year while Shrewsbury Town Council worked on its own bid.
Today, Councillor Lezley Picton, cabinet member for culture and leisure, said: “To date we’ve received one business case to keep swimming provision at the current Quarry site, in addition to our own at the Shrewsbury Sports Village. We have provided feedback on these and really appreciate the time and thought that has gone into them. We understand people’s desire to keep swimming provision within the town centre hence this review that we will now undertake.
“We are going to revisit and look at other sites in Shrewsbury. Nothing’s ruled out and nothing’s ruled in.
“We are committed to supporting the provision of swimming in Shrewsbury. It’s part of our vision to encourage and support people to be healthier, as outlined in our indoor leisure facilities strategy.
“However, we also need to make sure that we provide the best services we can, now and in the future, within the limited resources that we have,” she added.
