WEYMOUTH swimming pool faces closure unless essential repairs are carried out, a hard-hitting report says.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council is facing a bill of £331,500 to fix the ageing complex within the next 12 months.

The authority has outlined a list of essential works in a new budget report to its management committee, which meets tomorrow.

Problems include a drain that can cause backflows of sewage during high tides or exceptionally heavy rainfall and fencing to stop people falling into a hole outside.

Other essential works include repairs to pool tiles costing £10,000, work on the original filters and pipes that will cost £65,000 and £23,000 for new lighting because of heat damage in the roof.

A new system to replace the 30-year-old boilers is also set to cost £166,000.

Coun Brian Ellis, management committee chairman, said: "In the past these things have not been done, and sooner or later they have to be done. We have to look after the swimming pool however it is managed."

He said the works had to be completed to keep the pool open and that Weymouth could not be without a swimming pool.

The repairs are included in a list of essential capital works that the committee is recommended to accept as part of the council's budget for 2005 to 2006.

The sewer drain, costing £7,500, and the tiling were deemed essential by March 2006 or they would lead to the end of the service or a risk to income.

A report to the committee from head of financial services Jason Vaughan said the pool would need to be closed for a week and be partially drained while tiling work was carried out.

The next level of repairs were essential to prevent the pool's income being 'severely impaired' but would not lead to its closure if not carried out. They included work to the filter and pipes, lighting, boiler and fence.

Mr Vaughan said additional fencing was needed 'to protect the well outside the doors to stop people falling into it'.

He added: "There is a drop of several feet. From a health and safety point of view there is a risk of injury to the public which needs addressing."

Alex Parmley, council corporate development and partnerships manager, said no one had fallen into the well over the pool's 30-year lifespan, but had cropped up in a recent risk assessment.

The moves come as councillors are recommended to a back a council tax rise of 3.59 per cent.

The council is to decide at the end of March whether to hand over running of the pool to a company called SLM.

Mr Parmley said nothing had been decided yet but that SLM would invest half a million pounds in the complex, including a new gym.

A presentation of SLM's plans is open to the public in the Ocean Room at Weymouth Pavilion at 2pm tomorrow.