COUNCIL bosses were forced to deny Amersham's swimming pool will close amid questioning from colleagues last night.

Members of Chiltern District Council's cabinet had previously agreed to carry out an assessment of the Chiltern Pools Leisure Centre after saying it was nearing the end of its life.

Earlier this year the cabinet agreed to spend £50,000 on employing a firm of consultants to look at ways of improving leisure facilities in Amersham, Chesham and Chalfont St Peter.

When the proposals were discussed at a meeting of the full council last night, some councillors sought to clarify if there were any plans to shut Chiltern Pools.

Cabinet members denied this was the case, adding the assessment would seek residents' views on what facilities they want at an upgraded leisure centre.

Cllr Pam Appleby said: "I can't help but be a bit suspicious. Are we thinking they are going to do something different, ie get rid of the people there or something sinister like that? Can I ask why we have to have this big look at it?"

Council leader Isobel Darby replied: "The whole point is we have a leisure centre which, I believe, is 50 years old. It's getting to the end of its useful life and we need to do something about it. We can't keep patching it up.

"We have to change, rather than just say we need to replace what we've got with exactly the same thing.

"There's no intention to close leisure centres and not replace them, but we do need to know what we need to be fit for purpose going forward."

Cllr Appleby said in response: "What should be done is what was mooted in the first place - an Olympic sized pool. People lost their nerve at the end. Perhaps we ought to give that some consideration? That really would put Amersham on the map."

Lib Dem group leader Peter Jones claimed council documents showed "no commitment to maintain a swimming facility in Amersham".

He added: "Can I be a fly on the wall when you tell Amersham Swimming Club they are going to merge with Chalfont Otters? Because that will be a fun meeting."

But Cllr Mike Stannard said: "There's also nothing that suggests there won't be a swimming pool there. All we are suggesting is we will ask the people of Amersham, Chesham and Chalfont what they would like provided for their leisure."

He added: "If there are people who came back to us and the overwhelming desire is for an Olympic sized swimming pool, we will look to see if that's something this council can provide. If we can provide a funding partner who can deliver what the people of this district want, and take responsibility for delivering leisure away from this council, that would be something we would like to explore.

"We are in a position where it's nearing the end of its useful life. It will be replaced with something; we want it to be replaced with what people want to see on the site.

"There's no intention of turning it into an affordable housing development, for example. We want to find out what the residents of Chiltern as a whole - not just Amersham - would like this council to provide for them by way of leisure facility."