COUNCIL leaders in West Dorset have agreed to push on with plans for a new pool at Poundbury by 2010.

Leisure chiefs with the district council were forced back to the drawing board earlier this year after plans for improved swimming facilities in Dorchester were left in doubt.

West Dorset District Council had agreed in November to pursue plans for a six-lane pool on the Prince of Wales's development.

It was thought at the time that the existing pool at the Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre would be turned into dry sports space for the Thomas Hardye School. But when the school secured an almost £2 million grant to build a new sports hall the plan for the pool was left up in the air after the school said it was keen to retain swimming facilities near the site.

The school reiterated its position to the district council at a series of meetings and in a letter sent to the meeting of the council's executive committee.

But despite the calls to retain swimming facilities on the campus members agreed to push ahead with further investigations into a new pool in Poundbury after hearing that improving the existing centre would cost more than building a new one.

A new pool at Poundbury would cost in the region of £5 million to build, with money towards the development coming from the Duchy of Cornwall.

However, a new six-lane pool at the existing Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre would cost £6 million.

Nick Thornley, community enabling manager for the district council, told the meeting: "We went back to the drawing board to see if there was a way of providing a new pool on the Thomas Hardye site but it was more expensive than the new build at Poundbury.

"Poundbury therefore is still the preferred way forward," he said.

Leader of the district council Robert Gould said the proposal to build a new pool would provide the best value for tax payers and said he was concerned that improving the existing pool would mean a loss of swimming facilities in the county town for 18 months.