A QUESTION mark now hangs over the town's Victorian baths after it was revealed it would cost £1.2m to keep them open.

Investigations are set to begin into a possible replacement for the popular town centre attraction - with an indoor water world not being ruled out.

The fun centre would ideally include a wave machine, flumes and water rides, along with the traditional family, teaching and competition pools.

The stark choice - either spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on keeping the aging facility alive for the next 10 years or look elsewhere - was presented to councillors at a joint meeting of the leisure sub-committee and leisure operations board.

Major problems facing the Legh Street centre are the boiler system, which dates back to 1934, and electrical wiring, according to council engineers who carried out a structural survey. One boiler was believed to be beyond repair.

But Liberal Democrat Clr June Daynes wanted to know how thousands of pounds, set aside each year to maintain the baths, had been spent.

"If it is mostly the boilers and the electrical installations then why has that not been sorted out previously?" asked Clr Daynes.

Leisure chairman Clr Paul Langford said he was sure the cash, administered by Golden Gates Leisure, would have been spent when and where necessary.

He added: "The time is now right to consider all the options for the future of the baths.

"The baths have been highlighted as a key element of the borough's leisure strategy and, given the investment required, we should keep an open mind regarding how we provide town centre swimming facilities."

Any new facility would also incorporate a fitness gymnasium with aerobics studio, toning suite, sauna, steam room, creche, cafe and meeting areas.

Proposals for a new centre could qualify for National Lottery funding. But Sports Council bosses believe cash reserves will be limited because of commitments to huge projects such as Wembley Stadium and Commonwealth Games provisions for Manchester.

Councillors have asked officers to explore the feasability of a replacement for Warrington Baths and to report their findings back to the leisure committee.

Full consultation will take place with centre users promise leisure chiefs.

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