THE man in charge of Worcester's new swimming pool dream says he aims to make a "quick" decision over it - suggesting the city will know where it stands within weeks.

Councillor David Wilkinson, part of the city council's Tory leadership, says he doesn't plan to keep the public waiting.

As your Worcester News revealed last week, the new Conservative administration has placed plans for a £6.5 million six-lane pool at Perdiswell under review.

The stance is aimed at seeing if the council can revive old proposals for a bigger, better £13 million competition-standard facility with eight lanes.

During the first cabinet meeting of the new-look administration he was challenged by Labour group leader Adrian Gregson to make his thoughts clear.

Cllr Wilkinson, who is cabinet member for safer and stronger communities which includes responsibility for leisure, said: "We've had a number of requests to look at this and we are doing so.

"I need to be satisfied that whatever we take forward, it's in the best interests of Worcester.

"We will have a short review, a quick one so I can look at all the possible options."

He said he doesn't plan to delay it for much longer given the previous plans were originally expected to be voted on by full council at the start of June.

Cllr Gregson challenged the Tory cabinet by saying "how it is anything different" to what his old Labour administration had already done.

Earlier this year, Labour announced it was shelving any hopes of the eight-lane pool after saying it would be unfair to lumber taxpayers with such a hefty bill.

That led to fierce criticism from Worcester Swimming Club, which says its members have to travel to Gloucester or Wolverhampton to compete.

Councillor Simon Geraghty, the leader, said: "This is a major decision for the council and we've been perfectly clear about what our view is, we want to look at it."

The six-lane option would involve refurbishing the existing Perdiswell Leisure Centre and adding an extra wing onto it, whereas an eight-lane option means demolishing it for a brand new build on adjacent land.

The council wants to then knock down the Sansome Walk pool and open its new facility by the end of 2015.