COUNCILLORS have given the green light for homes to be built on the old Worcester swimming pool site in Sansome Walk.

In January, the city council agreed to demolish the building, and following a committee meeting on Monday, July 24, a number of decisions were made for the future of the 21-acre site.

At present, the number of homes that will be built is subject to negotiations.

The council is expected to hold talks with potential developers to discuss how many homes would be built.

Demolition work is not expected to start until details of the new housing scheme have been finalised.

There will be 20 parking spaces on the site exclusively for the use of residents of the adjoining Chestnut Street as there is a shortage of park on the road and householders have previously been able to use the swimming pool car park.

A strip of land at the site is to be sold to the neighbouring Wood Terrace Community Bowls Club, to provide a driveway to the club entrance.

The committee also agreed that the site’s public footpath and an area of mature trees, know as Sansome Fields, will be retained as part of future development there.

The city council’s policy and resources committee considered a range of options for the site, including turning it into a car park or offices, before agreeing to go ahead with the development of new housing.

Committee chairman councillor Louis Stephen said: "The Committee weighed up a range of options for the site before making its decision. A number of councillors made strong arguments for creating more car parking capacity in the city, however I believe the housing option carries more weight. The site is allocated for housing use in the South Worcestershire Development Plan."

The Sansome Walk pool was closed in December, just days before the new state-of-the art pool opened its doors as part of the £10.5m revamp of Perdiswell Leisure Centre.