Fresh hopes for new pool
Plans for a replacement swimming pool at Chase Leisure Centre may be pursued despite there being no cash to fund it.
An application for outline permission to demolish the creaking 34-year-old pool, on Stafford Road, Cannock, and build a new one will be decided at a planning control meeting on Wednesday.
The scheme was dealt a major blow when Sport England rejected Cannock Chase Council's bid for £4.2 million to redevelop the leisure centre.
Estimates say the swimming pool will only be usable for around two more years unless £810,000 is ploughed into maintenance work – cash the authority does not have.
Planning officers have recommended approval of the application, subject to conditions. The council will make a fresh bid in the next round of Sport England funding for swimming pools. But council leader Councillor Neil Stanley said the chances of success were slim.
He said: "It's like buying a lottery ticket. The chances are slim but if you don't, you have no chance. Sport England has enough money for five such programmes and about 200 applications.
"We took the decision to proceed with the planning application in case we are lucky enough to secure the funding, or the position somehow changes. But as it stands, it is unlikely we would be in a position to progress beyond that in the near future."
The knock-back from Sport England was the second decision to go against the council which has put swimming pool provision in Cannock in doubt. In December, local government minister Hazel Blears threw out plans to sell Cannock Stadium for housing which would have led to an estimated £20m being injected into leisure services.
The proposal to be considered by councillors on Wednesday is for a 25-metre eight lane pool to replace the existing 33.3-metre six lane pool.
