No plan to reopen swimming pool, council says

Cheshire East Council says it is not considering reopening the former Flag Lane Baths

A local authority has said it is not considering reopening a former swimming baths, earmarked to become an alternative provision school.

Cheshire East Council bosses said they were aware of recent proposals to reopen facilities at Flag Lane Baths from directors of a not-for-profit sports club.

But the authority said Crewe Lifestyle Centre, which opened in 2016, provided more suitable health and leisure facilities.

The site had previously been considered for a community hub but the scheme was withdrawn last year when costs spiralled.

"Currently, we're not considering reopening Flag Lane Baths as a swimming pool," a spokesperson said.

The pool was originally closed due to high operational cost, they added, and the Crewe centre offered "more modern and centrally-located heath and leisure options, including swimming".

The authority said money allocated to creating the community hub, as part of the Towns Fund programme, had been reallocated to other projects.

"While the charity's plans couldn't go ahead, the council, like many local people, still has a desire to see the building brought back into use," they said.

There is a recent proposal from a group seeking to reopen the building as a swimming pool with other sports facilities

Plans were presented in autumn last year for an alternative provision school, with council bosses citing a significant shortage of such facilities.

Meanwhile, directors of The Cheshire County Sports Club said last month they had approached the council with a scheme to reopen sports facilities at the site, estimated to cost £5m.

"While we are aware that other ideas for Flag Lane Baths are now being promoted, a new alternative provision school remains the council's current plan for the site," the council spokesperson said.

"We believe that the support and opportunities it could bring for young people in the town and beyond would be significant."

The council said the proposal was currently being considered by the Department for Education, which would be funding the scheme.

There was no date for when a decision would be made, they added.

The BBC has approached the Department for Education for a comment.