Luton’s Labour Council has just published its proposals for the new swimming pool at Stopsley and is clearly scaling down the facility before it is even designed.

The intention was that the new pool would cost £24.9m but the budget has increased to £25.5m even though the facilities provided have been scaled down. The main pool has been reduced from 10 lanes to 8 lanes; the second pool has been halved in size; and the fitness gym with 100 cardio vascular machines will now be completely empty unless the pool operators equip it.

Added to the absence of funding for the scheme, any assessment of the costs of running the pool and no idea when it will be ready for use, it all adds up to a weak case about which there has been little opportunity for public consultation.