Coventry 50m pool plan for Alan Higgs Sports Centre
- Published
The indoor football hall at the Alan Higgs Centre would be lost if pool plans go ahead
A £17m Olympic-sized swimming pool and sports village looks set to be built at a leisure centre in Coventry.
The eight-lane, 50m pool at the Alan Higgs Centre was approved by the city council's cabinet, external at a meeting earlier.
Councillors heard the current Fairfax Street pool was costing the taxpayer £2,000 a year.
The plan, external, which includes 500 spectator seats for regional competitions, is recommended to be approved by full council on 6 September.
About 11,000 people have previously signed a petition to keep an Olympic-sized pool at the Fairfax Street sport centre
The charity that owns the Alan Higgs Centre will transfer the building to Coventry and Warwickshire Award Trust, councillors heard.
The new sports village in Allard Way, with a 100-station fitness suite could open in late 2018, the council said.
If the swimming pool goes ahead, the centre would lose its indoor football hall from October 2017, the plan stated.
The hall is currently used by Coventry City Football Club Academy and community groups.
But they could move to a new training centre on the side of the football club's youth academy, planned by WASPS rugby club.
The second floor of the centre would be made into a Rugby Community Development Hub.
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