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| Coventry's 50m Olympic pool recommended to be closed | Coventry's 50m Olympic pool recommended to be closed |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| A proposal to close the only 50m swimming pool in the West Midlands has been recommended for approval later. | |
| Coventry City Council's cabinet is discussing the Fairfax Street sport centre's future. | |
| The authority wants to replace the building with a new £37m leisure centre - featuring a cheaper-to-run 25m pool. | |
| More than 60 people gathered outside the council house earlier to oppose the move, waving banners saying Save Our Swimming and Don't Trash our Splash. | |
| 'Losing its soul' | 'Losing its soul' |
| Coventry Swimming Club programme manager Jo Deakins said: "It's very disappointing. | |
| "While other towns and cities across the country are trying to find ways to improve their facilities and get bigger pools, Coventry must be one of the only places doing the opposite." | "While other towns and cities across the country are trying to find ways to improve their facilities and get bigger pools, Coventry must be one of the only places doing the opposite." |
| Mrs Deakins said the proposed new leisure centre would be unsuitable for competitions because it featured no areas for spectators. She said this could ultimately force the club to close. | |
| "We know it's got to be cost-effective, but we believe you can build something that can be profitable," she said. | |
| Closure of the pool would leave the West Midlands without a 50m pool until one opens at the University of Birmingham in 2016. | Closure of the pool would leave the West Midlands without a 50m pool until one opens at the University of Birmingham in 2016. |
| Among those protesting was office worker and mother-of-two Rachel Mander who said: "The pool is a feature of the city. There is nothing else like it in the area." | |
| Mother-of-one Sharon Newport said the pool had been "instrumental to the success of swimmers across the Midlands." | |
| Meanwhile Stella Johnson, 68 and from city, said: "When I heard what they were planning I thought 'my life is coming to an end; I love swimming. | |
| "I also thought it would lead to people having to make appointments to use the replacement pool because there would not be enough room." | |
| A number of people have written to the BBC to express their anger over the proposals including Dan Jones who said "I really feel the great city of Coventry is losing another massive part of its soul." | A number of people have written to the BBC to express their anger over the proposals including Dan Jones who said "I really feel the great city of Coventry is losing another massive part of its soul." |
| The city council has said its new leisure centre will have a water park with slides, a fitness suite, climbing wall, squash courts and a spa. | |
| The plan was drawn up after a six-week public consultation, the authority said. | The plan was drawn up after a six-week public consultation, the authority said. |
| Kevin Maton, cabinet member for business, enterprise and employment, said: "It's not the case that the council's not interested in sport because we're investing in new facilities all the time. The question is 'how can we afford to do it?'" | Kevin Maton, cabinet member for business, enterprise and employment, said: "It's not the case that the council's not interested in sport because we're investing in new facilities all the time. The question is 'how can we afford to do it?'" |