Monmouth's swimming pool will be demolished to make way for a new comprehensive school. County councillors met last Wednesday (16th July) to decide the siting of Monmouth Comprehensive's new £40million school which is being built as part of Monmouthshire County Council's (MCC) 21st Century Schools programme. Councillors decided on the second of three proposed sites, which will see the current swimming pool knocked down. MCC has promised to rebuild it at a later date but plans are yet to be drawn up. A spokesperson for the authority said a date for demolition of the pool is yet to be set, but the council has previously said it wants to start work on the school in January 2015. Despite councillors promising to build a 25-metre swimming pool in its place, it is likely Monmouth will be without a public pool for 12 months. Deputy leader Bob Greenland said conversations are being held with the Haberdashers schools to potentially find an arrangement for the use of their pool. He said: "With my leisure services hat on, I am concerned with any period of time when the town will be without a pool and I challenged hard to seek an alternative. "I have to agree the option to build on the site of the old pool is clearly the best choice. "I will continue to press for a minimum period of closure before a new pool is opened. "It should be no longer than 12 months, hopefully less. "It is only recently that it has become clear that to build the new school, the best option would be to build it on the site of the swimming pool. "So not only will the town have a new school but, once approved by the full council, a new improved 25-metre pool. "I doubt that in this climate for public finance many councils would take this bold step." The new pool will cost an estimated £5million to £5.5million to rebuild. According to the cabinet agenda, if money is to be found within the envelope for 21st Century Schools then it will leave "very little opportunities to provide additional investment in the primary schools." Also revealed at the meeting was a spend of £400,000 on the current swimming pool only a few years ago. Labour leader Dimitri Batrouni has spoken out against the spend. Speaking to the Beacon last week he said: "Everyone supports a new school in Monmouth, it is nothing less than the children in Monmouth deserve. "What worries the Labour group is the lack of foresight around the pool, that is why we asked about the cost of the refurbishment of the current pool. "The council can't afford to throw away £400,000, but that's what it is about to do. "Why didn't they think about this before? The failure to plan means residents could be left without a pool and money wasted. "Now the council are scrambling around to get the answers that residents deserved in the first place." Councillor Bob Greenland told the cabinet meeting: "The work done a few years ago was essential repairs to the roof, improved changing facilities and viewing area plus new disabled access. "Had the work not been done at the time, in all probability the pool would have closed by now. "Now the plant and equipment is approaching the end of its useful life and would require further substantial investment before too long." On the building of the new school, Councillor Liz Hacket Pain said: "So far we have received the most wonderful response from the school communities. "I know the work gone in to this project has been quite astounding." To view the full report, visit: http://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk">www.monmouthshire.gov.uk • A public drop-in evening is being held at Monmouth Leisure Centre on the 7th of August between 5.15pm and 7pm when the public will be given an opportunity to hear more details about the commissioned feasibility study on the pool, its funding options and schedule for construction.