FEARS are growing about Worcester's new £10 million swimming pool sparking traffic chaos - unless council chiefs dramatically re-think the roads layout.

Early next year the doors will open on the huge eight-lane pool off Bilford Road, one of Worcester's most congested areas.

But Councillor Jabba Riaz, part of the city's new Labour leadership, has visited the site and says the highways layout is "completely wrong".

The pool is directly opposite the recycling centre, which is already besieged by cars at weekends.

Highways bosses have opted to install a pedestrian island right outside the pool entrance and place a bus stop adjacent to it, slowing down traffic.

The politician is pleading with Worcestershire County Council to go back to the drawing board, saying if the pool takes off it could bring Worcester "to its knees".

Bilford Road is one of the city's most vital routes, but the recycling centre does not have its own dedicated filter lane, making the problems worse.

Bosses at County Hall have responded to the concern by insisting they are not expecting "significant disruption" to traffic.

Councillor Riaz said: "Strategically as a city we are going backwards on traffic flow and congestion.

"We've seen the problems the new Waitrose is causing, and the swimming pool development will go the same way unless there is a big re-think.

"I'm very impressed with the new pool, it will put Worcester on the map as a leisure destination but I've got serious concerns about the highways layout.

"Unless it changes it will be chaos when it opens, that layout will cause traffic misery on a Saturday and Sunday.

"They need to remove the island so traffic can flow past more easily - all it's done is take away a natural filter where people wanting to reach the tip could easily overtake the cars pulling in for the leisure centre.

"What it really needs is a dedicated filter lane just for the tip. You've got the bus stop right opposite the tip too, which is another problem.

"It looks like they've taken the cheap option. This is a problem the council has created and if there is a will, they must look at it again before this pool opens."

The new swimming pool, a £10.5 million extension to Perdiswell Leisure Centre, is due to open by February.

Councillor Marcus Hart, County Hall's cabinet member for highways said: "Access arrangements for Perdiswell Swimming Pool have been carefully assessed and are not considered to offer any significant disruption to traffic flow.

"The planning application was supported by a thorough transport assessment, and subsequent safety audits have not indicated any issues.

"There was no identified conflict with the recycling centre to warrant any alteration of that access as part of the application, and no such alteration is being promoted at this time."