Whitchurch £13.1m swimming pool given go-ahead

The plans include a swimming pool, gym, function rooms and cafe

Work on a new swimming pool and fitness centre should start as soon as possible with inflation expected to push costs higher, a council has said.

Plans for the £13.1m facility in Whitchurch were backed by Shropshire Council's cabinet on Wednesday.

Councillor Cecilia Motley said it hoped to appoint a contractor soon.

"We want the rebuild to proceed as quickly as possible, particularly bearing in mind the inflationary pressures," she said.

The council previously said a new centre was the best option to replace the current site, closed since March 2020, after investigations into a leak revealed significant defects within the swimming pool.

The new centre will feature a six-lane, 25m pool with a movable floor, a fitness suite, function rooms and cafe.

Ms Motley, cabinet member for communities, culture, leisure and tourism, said a public consultation had shown "overwhelming support" for the plans.

Whitchurch's swimming pool has been closed since March 2020

But she said people had raised concerns in the survey about water voles living in the brook next to the site.

Detailed surveys will be carried out, Ms Motley said, to allow the build to go ahead "with as little damage to wildlife as possible".

The council said it wanted work to start on the site in 2024 and be completed the following year.