FUNDS could be found to build a £4.5 million swimming pool on Minehead’s Irnham Road site as part the current £1 million community building development, Minehead town councillors were told at their meeting on Tuesday.

In a progress report from Minehead Swimming Pool CIC, development worker Caitlyn Reynolds briefed councillors on a proposed route to a sustainable Minehead pool and claimed that the finance required would not be beyond the means of a community enterprise if the site was made available.

“The potential and support for community enterprises has never been stronger,” she said.

“The old Barrington buildings on the Minehead FC site are scheduled for demolition. We believe that the resulting site could be developed with a brand new multipurpose building ideal for a swimming pool and leisure complex for Minehead.”

Ms Reynolds, from Somerset Co-operative Services CIC, added: “The Power to Change programme, the Reach Fund, and social lenders such as Triodos and Big Issue Invest, and community shares promoted on a platform such as Ethex, can all make very substantial contributions.

“But it is imperative that the town council is confident in the long-term future of the site and we would suggest a number of measures that should remove any risk that this sensitive site might end up with an underused and poorly-maintained building.”

Councillors were told that work had already started on a detailed feasibility study which showed that Minehead would be far from the smallest town to support a community pool.

Read the full report in tomorrow’s Free Press.