PRIVATE cash should be provided to build a new town centre swimming pool ,according to Warrington's Liberal Democrats.

A motion to be discussed at Monday's full council meeting urges the Labour executive at the Town Hall to begin immediate discussions with potential developers so that a new pool can be built to replace the ageing Warrington Baths on Legh Street.

The future of the crumbling Victorian baths, which has cost the taxpayer millions of pounds in upkeep, has been the subject of much debate recently and is at the heart of the current review of leisure facilities in the town.

Now the Lib Dems say the time is right for action on the issue.

Leader Clr Barbara Mawer said it was important that the issue remained high on the political agenda while the review was ongoing.

"When we think of the amount of development going on or planned for the town centre it seems to us that it should be possible to interest developers in some sort of arrangement that would give us the community facilities we need," she said.

She explained that the pool space was vital and needed to be in the town centre so that people could get there.

"We are not saying that the existing building has to be preserved no matter what but we think that the location of a town centre pool is all important.

"It is much easier for people who have disabilities who need the hydrotherapy facilities that are there. It is very important that these are maintained," she added.

Council leader Clr Mike Hughes said that the issue would be discussed at Monday's meeting.

He added: "We are always actively engaged with developers in securing the leisure provision and other sorts of provision that the people of Warrington aspire to."

Public/private partnerships have been successful in providing pools across the region - a good example being Urmston, where a new pool opened in the late 1980s to replace an ageing Victorian one.