New pools for Quarry and Sundorne confirmed as preferred option by council

A plan to replace the dilapidated Quarry Swimming and Fitness Centre with a new ‘leisure destination’, alongside the construction of a competition pool at Sundorne Sports Village, has been named as the preferred option by the council’s cabinet.

It was chosen above alternative proposals which could have seen a competition pool included in a newly-built Quarry facility.

At a cabinet meeting, leisure boss Councillor Lezley Picton said the preferred option would make swimming more accessible to more people across the town and wider county, while also opening up possibilities for a spa, play centre and restaurant at the Quarry site.

Responding to objections to the scheme she said “you can’t please all of the people all of the time” but added that the split site option provided more water space overall. She also said the current Quarry pool, at 33 metres, did not meet competition standards which require pools to be either 25m or 50m.

Councillor Picton said: “I’m well aware that there are those who believe that the competition pool should remain within the town centre, but previous consultations and considerations point clearly to siting it at the sports village.”

Councillor Dean Carroll, portfolio holder for climate change, said new state-of-the-art facilities would have a greatly reduced carbon footprint than the current building and give more deprived communities to the north of the town easier access to a pool.

But Councillor David Vasmer, from the opposition Liberal Democrat group, accused the council leadership of betraying those who fought so hard several years ago against previous plans to get rid of the Quarry pool completely.

He said an alternative option to include a competition pool in the plans for the new Quarry building would be cheaper, at around £25 million, and be more accessible because of better public transport links in the town centre.

Councillor Vasmer added: “The other concern I have is the suspicion that if the Quarry pool is closed and one is built at Sundorne, that at some point during a period of cuts the decision would be taken not to go ahead with the Quarry pool as envisaged, or to substantially reduce the facilities there”.

Councillor Picton said she was “disappointed” at Councillor Vasmer’s comments and said any plans for the Quarry site would include swimming provision.

She added: “We would be absolutely mad not to have a leisure facility at that park.”

A full study will now be carried out followed by public consultation.

Council leader Peter Nutting said: “Everybody who doesn’t live within five miles of the town centre will find it much easier to access Sundorne.

“The pool at Sundorne will be the Shropshire pool, and having a 25-metre competition pool which will be the only decent one in the county is a real plus, and the Quarry will be the Shrewsbury pool, for the more local residents of the town centre. I think the compromise is a really good way forward.”

Under the preferred option, a 25-metre eight-lane competition pool and 17 metre by 10 metre learner pool would be built at the sports village, while the Quarry would have a 25-metre four-lane training pool, a leisure pool and complementary leisure facilities.

It is hoped a significant amount of funding for the scheme will come from Sport England and other external grants, while the council may also need to contribute.