A DECISION on the future of Minehead's Aquasplash pool and gym has been temporarily delayed after district councillors were overwhelmed by a public show of support for the facility. More than 40 people packed into the council chamber on Wednesday night, leaving almost as many again out in the cold as the authority simply could not cope with the number of people who turned up for the cabinet meeting. Those left outside hammered on the chamber's windows, which were then opened, in a desperate attempt to have an input into the meeting. With more than a dozen members of the public registered to speak and young and old craning to hear through the windows, council leader Cllr Keith Ross took the surprise decision to withdraw the entire Aquasplash debate from the agenda. He told the meeting: "There are so many here who are interested in this item that I propose we have a special meeting of the cabinet in Minehead for that item alone." As he faced jeers from members of the public, Cllr Ross said he was sorry for inconveniencing people with the last-minute change of plan. He said: "I want to apologise to everyone here tonight - I always knew this was an interesting item, but there are 25 people more than we can accommodate. "We could have gone on with it, but I think it is better that it doesn't go on." Cabinet members had been due to make a decision on whether to follow an officer's recommendation to close the facility, paving the way for the centre to be demolished and the site sold-off. They were due to be told that keeping the pool and gym open was simply not "financially viable" - even though a partnership with Somerset County Council could net the authority a potential saving of at least £50,000 on the historic costs of operating the facility. Cllr Ross said it was likely a special cabinet meeting would be held before a full council meeting on Wednesday, February 27, with a final decision on the future of the pool being taken by all 31 councillors and not just the nine members of the ruling cabinet group. Conservative group leader Cllr Tim Taylor said: "This is a huge issue and it should be debated by the full council and all members." But the decision not to press ahead with Wednesday night's debate did little to appease those opposed to the closure of the pool. Malcolm Appleton, who was one of those banished to the car park, said he had made a special journey from Porlock to attend the meeting. "I am astounded that somebody from the council did not have the foresight to know this was a crucial meeting for the general meeting and should have booked a venue that was big enough." Minehead resident Ray Brooker was also left standing outside the chamber and said the council's preparations for the meeting had been "woefully inadequate". "They were quoting health and safety and fire regulations at us, the usual excuses," he said. Stacey Beaumont, the council's media and public relations officer, said the council had no choice but to limit the number of people allowed in the chamber. She said: "Although 11 people registered to speak about Aquasplash, about 70 people came to listen to councillors debate the report. "Fire regulations prohibit this many people from entering the building so councillors decided to withdraw the report and hold another meeting on February 27 at a larger venue in Minehead. "We will advertise details of the meeting when they are confirmed." Local swimming clubs have already claimed the closure of the pool could signal the end for their groups, while others have blamed the council's "abject failure" to manage its own finances for the impending shut down. Swimming coach Jim Butterworth said Cllr Ross had explained the authority's financial problems to him but said that as a taxpayer he was far from happy. "It only takes ten seconds for a child to drown. You will be taking away the one possible source where they could learn to swim," he said. The authority has already budgeted for the sale of the Aquasplash site by 2010 and has not allocated any money to keeping the facility open in the new financial plan. Adrian Dyer, the council's acting head of paid service, had been due to tell cabinet members that although a partnership with the county council could have saved money, it was not enough to justify keeping the centre open. The pool and gym has been closed since October last year after the pool sprung a 2,000 gallons-a- week leak. The cost of fixing the leak has been estimated at between £5,000 and £15,000, although the council believes the overall cost of reopening the facility would be closer to £50,000.