FUNDING of up to £7.4 million has been approved by county councillors for the construction of a new pool in Monmouth despite some concerns remaining over its design.

A 25-metre pool, a new gymnasium and children’s play areas will be built in place of the existing sports hall as part of Monmouth Comprehensive School’s £36 million redevelopment.

Monmouthshire County Council deputy leader Cllr Bob Greenland told the council on Thursday that the facility would benefit Monmouth and surrounding areas.

He added that the pool would meet current standards set by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and Sport Wales for public use and for local swimming galas.

Both points had been previously disputed by several councillors including Cllr Debby Blakeborough, who had described the plans as being akin to a “paddling pool”.

“I’m not really excited by the pool, it’s described as ‘first class’ and I’m not sure,” said the member for Trellech.

“It’s a leisure pool, a holiday pool, certainly not a competition pool.”

Cllr Greenland criticised his fellow councillor as “wanting to deal more than in soundbites than facts”, adding: “I have said that we weren’t going to build an Olympic or national pool – if Cllr Blakeborough wants to build a national pool, can she suggest where the money is going to come from?”

The cost to deliver the facility is nearly £2 million more than first anticipated in 2014, with the new build itself costing just under £7 million.

On Thursday, the council agreed that an extra £400,000 be provided to build a temporary building that would mitigate the loss of the sports hall.

The 700-metre hall will be used for sports clubs and community groups displaced by the works, along with school pupils who had used the sports hall for exams.

It was also revealed by a council officer that building work would take more than a year to finish, and that it will take “two to three weeks longer” to complete than first planned.

Cllr Matt Feakins, member for Drybridge, welcomed the “fantastic news for Monmouth” but called for the provision of gym clients using the facilities through the NHS to be maintained.

The confirmation of the new pool in Monmouth opened up a debate about similar, modernised facilities being built in Monmouthshire’s other major towns.

Councillors from Chepstow, Abergavenny and Caldicot – which is also seeing its secondary school being redeveloped as part of the 21st Century Schoosl Programme - Abergavenny all put forward their case for leisure facilities to have the same consideration given to them as Monmouth.