Wycombe council leader rules out sale of Rye pool (From Bucks Free Press)

Wycombe council leader rules out sale of Rye pool

3:10pm Wednesday 19th August 2009 in Search By Alex Hayes

THE leader of Wycombe District Council has said there are no plans to redevelop or sell-off Holywell Mead swimming pool in High Wycombe.

Cllr Lesley Clarke told the Bucks Free Press the council has “nothing in the pipeline” for the pool in The Rye after a business plan put forward by campaigners was rejected earlier this week.

The pool was closed in February in a bid to save cash and the Holywell Mead Steering Group was formed shortly after in a bid to find other funds to reopen it.

Cllr Clarke said: “There are no plans for the area at the moment. If somebody comes forward with a business plan which seems to be right we will consider it.

“We have no extra money in the budget, someone is going to have to sit down and take stock of where we are going.”

The latest development strategy document for Wycombe shows the site as being earmarked for “a mix of community and leisure uses”.

However, it does not rule out the sale of the area to a private company to develop leisure facilities on the site.

Cllr Clarke said: “It absolutely will not be sold off. That's not in the thinking of anyone at the moment.

“We don't want to leave it empty and decaying, we need to make sure whatever is happening is for the good of The Rye.”