The Health Hydro's small pool will be restored, the councillor in charge of the facility's restoration project has pledged.

Councillor Matty Courtliff was asked at a meeting by Labour leader Jim Robbins why the Milton Road facility's small pool was not in either phase one or two of the restoration work.

The cabinet member for leisure pledged: "The small pool will be restored.

"However, other elements of the building’s restoration will need to be completed before this can happen.”

It came as the council announced the pool and Turkish baths would be shut for 18 months from April for renovation work costing £6.5m – phase one of the council’s plans for the building.

Coun Courtliff said of the pool, originally designed and built for use by women and children separate to the main, men’s pool: “The council has a vision for the Health Hydro to once again support the health and wellbeing needs of Swindon communities.

“The restoration of the small pool forms an integral part of the vision. The Health Hydro is a large and complex Grade II* Listed building that is in need of substantial investment to achieve the vision. Given the scale of development needed, the building’s restoration will be supported by external funding.

“To access external funding there is normally a requirement to demonstrate that the investment is financially sustainable through the submission of a business case to the funding body. This was the case in the council’s successful bid that secured Towns Fund monies for the phase one restoration.

“Our approach is therefore to ensure that each phase builds on the previous phase in attracting greater patronage to the building and in ensuring that the operation of the building is financially sustainable.

“Phase one will see the 33-metre main Victorian swimming pool restored, complemented by new changing and fitness suites, and accompanied by infrastructure upgrades. Phase two comprises three elements: the creation of a new community health and wellbeing hub, restoration and enhancement to the Turkish Baths and environmental building improvements.

“These elements will need to be in place to enable the council to demonstrate that patronage will be sufficient and that the building’s operating costs are at an appropriate level, to ensure that the reopening of the small pool is financially viable. The small pool will be restored. However, other elements of the building’s restoration will need to be completed before this can happen.”