Plans to convert Crewe's Art Deco swimming baths welcomed

The 1930s art deco building has kept a number of its original features

Plans to turn a former swimming pool into a community hub have been welcomed by planning officers.

The building on Flag Lane in Crewe, Cheshire, has been closed since 2016.

It opened in 1937 and a Cheshire East Council report described it as being "from a period when Crewe had the largest engineering works in the world".

An application going before the local authority on 25 May suggests turning it into a multi-use centre.

If the application is approved, the new centre could house galleries, shops, a children's centre, offices, rentable space and a multi-use hall, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The proposals also involve keeping some of its historical features, such as its Art Deco windows.

The report, which is due to go before planners, said the conversion work would be carried out sensitively and it welcomed the commitment to keep the original features.

Crewe Town Council has also welcomed the proposal, which will create the equivalent of 41 full-time jobs.

Forty-six letters of support have been sent to Cheshire East Council, and one objection.

The site has parking for 44 cars, including six disabled spaces, although no electric vehicle charging spaces are indicated.