Plans for a new state-of-the-art leisure centre may have just been unveiled, but not everyone is ready to let go of Morden Park Pool so soon.

Merton Council has pledged to return the current site of Morden Park Leisure Centre to green space when it builds the new £11 million leisure centre on the other side of South Thames College in Morden Park.

Wimbledon Times:

Consultations on the new leisure centre took place in February

February 2: First look: plans for the new Morden Leisure Centre unveiled

The new leisure centre, featuring a café, a swimming pool, a gym and four badminton courts, could open as early as 2018, with demolition on the old leisure centre expected to start immediately after it has opened.

But regular swimmer and Merton Park resident Paul Millbank wants to see the pool hall left intact in the old leisure centre, describing it as “both a striking and a pleasing feature which enhances rather than detracts from the landscape”.

He said: “It’s quite a sight. It’s got a nice aesthetic as a building.

“It’s worth seeing if it’s got life left in it, both because of its iconic 1960s design and because it’s an extremely pleasant building to be in.

“It would be a shame to lose it. It’s a real shame that the biggest pool in the borough is going to be lost.”

Mr Millbank wants to see the swimming pool, which at 33m long is bigger than the proposed 25m pool in the new structure, filled in or covered over to make the hall into a function room.

This could then be used by the council for sports facilities, classes or even events like craft fairs, or it could be hired out privately.

Wimbledon Times:

Mr Millbank added: “If it’s going to be knocked down, this could be an opportunity to reverse that decision. Could we do something with it, or could someone else?”

However, the council’s cabinet member for community and culture, Councillor Nick Draper, said: “Our open space is very precious and, as this is Metropolitan Open Land, we have a duty to return the current site to open green space once the new leisure centre is built.

“The new leisure centre will provide ideal space for many community activities which community groups will be able to book.”

A council spokesman added that the current building is “in poor condition and costly to run”, but the new building will be “environmentally and economically sustainable”.

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