Teville Gate swim plan has that sinking feeling

THERE will be no municipal swimming pool at Teville Gate unless Worthing borough councillors approve a revised offer from the developers, expected to be submitted by this evening.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Nov 2006, 11:03 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 00:48 BST

The council says that it cannot afford to lease the pool under the original proposals put forward by developers Hanson Capital Management, and tonight's meeting of the key overview and scrutiny committee is being recommended to decide that the council cannot continue with the original lease scheme.

But Hanson's agent, Robert Walker, told the Herald Hanson would be submitting new proposals before tonight's committee meeting.

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Paul High, the council's cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, told the Herald yesterday: "The developers are putting in an 11th-hour revised offer to the council; we cannot afford the present offer."

He promised that, whatever happened, a start would be made on building a new state-of-the-art swimming facility within the next two or three years, hopefully in the town centre. The money had already been "ring fenced" for this, wherever the new pool was sited.

Bob Smytherman, council Lib Dem leader, said it was absolutely right not to go ahead with the deal on the original terms.

"Even if the developers come back with another financial offer, it would not make the scheme any more viable because physically it just doesn't work," he said.

"I think Worthing needs to get on and build a council-owned pool on a council-owned site.

"West Park is probably the cheapest option but I, personally, would prefer the Aquarena site."