Pressure group delighted consultation time for new Shrewsbury swimming pool extended

It was announced this week that Shropshire Council's consultation, which has been running since the summer, will continue until the end of October.

Seven options have been put forward for the future of the pool, four of which look at moving it from the Quarry to another site.

So far, around 1,200 people have responded to the council's consultation.

The month-long extension means no decision is expected on the preferred option before February 2016.

Bernard Wills, chairman of the Quarry Forum group which has been pressing for an extension and which has presented a series of questions to the council about the proposals, said: "We are delighted that the consultation period for the pool has been extended.

"We had grave concerns about it being carried out over the summer when people were away on holiday and would not have the opportunity to be able to put their views across.

"So the news that the extension, which we had been pressing for, has been granted is very welcome.

"We have gone to the council with many questions which we believed needed answering before the conclusion of the consultation. We now believe we will get them before the consultation ends in October."

It was also revealed that financial figures included in the supporting documentation were incorrect and have now been updated.

The updated figures still show that a new pool on a site at Shrewsbury Sports Village is the most profitable option but the running costs for a new pool built on the Quarry site are considerably reduced.

"We have raised with the council the issue of revenue figures which we believed had not been collated across a level playing field and which did not give a fair representation to all the options," said Mr Wills.

"These have now been revised which we are pleased about."

An open meeting organised by the Quarry Forum to discuss the future of the pool will be held at The Prince Rupert Hotel on September 10 at 7pm.