LAND has officially been earmarked in Minehead for a new swimming pool to be built for the town.

The move came as two separate community groups promoting the project agreed to work more closely together.

Minehead Health and Wellbeing (MHWB) and Minehead Swimming and Leisure (MSL) are combining forces to replace the Aquasplash pool which was demolished nearly 20 years ago.

Now, Minehead town councillors have formally agreed to declare their support for ‘a community-led swimming pool project’.

They also agreed to designate land as their preferred site for the pool to be built in the Irnham Road recreation ground where Minehead Football Club’s grandstand once stood.

MHWB had previously said ‘pre-planning approval’ for the publicly owned central town site had been indicated by planning officials.

Councillors recognised there was a growing momentum for a new town swimming pool which was being steered by the two community groups.

They accepted that while councillors had previously given their verbal support, a formal council position was now needed, particularly as potential sites under consideration included town council land.

Councillors were reminded that a previous council consultation about use of the recreation ground had received positive public feedback.

It was confirmed the two community groups were working closely together ‘with promising signs toward eventual merger’.

Town clerk Ben Parker was asked to draft an open letter of support for the pool project which councillors would sign off.

MHWB and MSL also intend to hold a consultation exercise across the local community to help inform their business plan with robust forecasts for revenue and likely user numbers.

They said West Somerset residents who wanted to demonstrate their own support for the swimming pool project, and eventually have a stake in the ownership of the community-run facility, can join by going to the MSL website.