GRAND plans for a new £10.4 million Worcester swimming pool are on the verge of becoming reality - after it was backed by council leaders.

Worcester City Council's Conservative cabinet agreed to support the creation of a new eight-lane pool on the site of Perdiswell Leisure Centre last night.

It means a final vote will now take place among all 35 city councillors on Tuesday, September 30 - with a majority of just 18 supportive hands needed to give it the green light.

During the cabinet meeting last night:

- Neil Monkhouse, the former chairman of Worcester Swimming Club, said the estimated yearly subsidy of £493,000 for an eight-lane pool was "scaring people" but insisted it was the right option

- Tory politicians described the estimated £10.4 million costs as "conservative" and said they believed it would prove cheaper

- The eight-lane option is backed by the cabinet because it would allow for two lanes to be in public use constantly, even when swimming lessons are going on at the same time

- Councillor Simon Geraghty, city council leader, said Worcester aimed high with the £60 million Hive and should do likewise for a pool

Councillor David Wilkinson, cabinet member for safer and stronger communities, said: "During my work on this I went to Rugby to see an example of the swimming pool there, where it was illustrated to me how with eight lanes, two lanes are always available for general swimmers even if lessons are on.

"You don't get that with six lanes, and that's a key reason why I think we should go for the more expensive option."

He also said: "An eight-lane pool is an integral part of this cabinet's ambitions for Worcester, it's ambitious and forward thinking and exactly what this city deserves."

During the debate Labour Councillor George Squires questioned whether it was affordable, but Cllr Geraghty said: "All of the options are affordable - ultimately it comes down to what kind of city we want to be.

"We've set a vision and a level of ambition for the city and we must honour that - we did it with The Hive and we'll do it again with the pool."

If backed by full council a plan will be drawn up to fund the project including money from selling Sansome Walk pool, a loan, some cash from the £3.1 million for selling the Orchard House complex to the University of Worcester and a possible Sport England grant.

The new-look Perdiswell pool would be in operation by the end of 2016.

During the debate Councillor Liz Smith, Lib Dem group leader, said she was worried about "the consequences" of going all-out on a top of the range pool while Councillor Joy Squires, for Labour, said the cabinet was intent on "building a competition pool which will be open to the general public".

But Cllr Wikinson said it was the "other way around", while Tory deputy leader Councillor Marc Bayliss shook his head at the criticism and said with Worcester a growing city, the council should be ambitious.