PLANS have been submitted for the long-awaited new swimming pool at Eversley Leisure Centre.

Owned by Basildon Council, the Pitsea leisure centre, looks set to be boosted with a new four-lane lap-pool, changing facilities and an expanded car park.

The centre, constructed in 1970, was refurbished in 2017 but political wranglings and the coronavirus pandemic have delayed the construction of the new swimming pool for years.

A 25-metre pool is proposed. As the pool is configured for lane-swimming, it will be suitable for competition, so a spectator area will also be provided.

The new pool is connected to the existing centre through a reconfigured internal corridor heading south, meaning that the existing centre reception can continue to serve both facilities Councillor Craig Rimmer said: “It’s a fantastic step in the right direction. I have been absolutely championing this development from the start with my colleague Luke Mckenzie.

“I’m lucky to be the chair of the leisure and environment committee that is steering this through, with it coming to planning soon, with plans in place for what it will look like.

He added: “Members of the public can comment in it and if they like the plans, show their support for the scheme.

“Hopefully, it will be signed off by planning in March and will be ready to go.”

The council undertook a feasibility assessment in 2019 which concluded that due to increase in the local population, there was a demonstrable need for the facility, and that of those locations available; Eversley Leisure Centre was the most suitable site.

However, the plans were shelved by Labour’s council leader at the time, Gavin Callaghan.

Mr Rimmer added: “Labour were playing politics with it.

“Gavin Callaghan was saying that a pool could not be built for the amount of money that had been budgeted.

“But public pressure put it back on the agenda and then unfortunately we were hit by Covid, causing another slowdown. If these things hadn’t had happened, we would possibly had the pool open already.”

Eversley Leisure Centre is run on behalf of the council by Everyone Active.