PLANS to provide a 21st century lido for Droitwich Spa could be speeded up with the indoor pool being demolished immediately.

At last night's meeting of Wychavon's executive board member for community services Cllr Paul Middlebrough (Con-Drakes Broughton) was due to read out a statement over plans for the facility.

The statement says the board is concerned that the constant focus on the lido is based upon an historic perspective whilst what was needed was a modern facility.

During the past four months the draft proposals have been refined and the board now wants to see if the decision process can been speeded up with a view to getting the facility open next summer.

He says: "In order to have any chance of meeting this ambitious timetable the council needs to make an application for conservation area consent to demolish the old indoor pool immediately.

"This structure has no economic use and detracts substantially from the setting of the lido.It is now clear that as the indoor pool is not needed it should be demolished before someone is seriously injured."

Cllr Middlebrough added: "In taking this step I want to make it perfectly clear that only the indoor pool will be demolished and this action should not been seen by the public or SALT as a precursor to wholesale demolition of the lido. This is not the case and any rumours to the contrary are false."

It is hoped the proposed layout will be available at the overview and scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday, September 27.