A DETAILED investigation is set to take place over the fate of Worcester's old Sansome Walk swimming pool site after councillors demanded a rethink.

Worcester City Council's scrutiny committee has recommended that more work needs to be done over whether the land should become a car park, before the idea is ditched.

The move has frustrated the city's Labour leadership, which is trying to get the site redeveloped for housing - saying that is what nearby residents prefer.

The crumbling old building is due to be demolished imminently, with the 1960s landmark no longer needed due to the sparkling new £10.5 million pool at Perdiswell.

An impassioned debate over what to do with the site has raged for months, but the scrutiny committee has now voted 6-5 to do a detailed 'options appraisal' for the land.

Some Tories are also now suggesting the land could include green open space and "limited" secure parking, some of which could be used by nearby residents.

Councillor Andy Roberts, a Conservative, said: "It concerns me that this is a really quite monumental decision, but it's being made on the basis of one A4 sheet of paper.

"I'm not saying a car park is the definitive answer, but let's do a proper appraisal of all the options so we can find out.

"I do worry that having more houses, and with that more cars, sounds like a very unhappy area (the Arboretum) to me.

"I'd rather have green space, with limited secure parking, paid for by the people who use that parking."

Labour cabinet members - several of whom attended the meeting - told the committee they had not made their minds up anyway, accusing the committee of wasting time.

They also pointed to it being earmarked for housing in the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP).

Labour Councillor Geoff Williams, a cabinet member, said: "It's in that plan which has been adopted by this council, almost unanimously.

"But the recommendation doesn't preclude us from looking at other options anyway."

Councillor Adrian Gregson, the leader, said: "Because of this call-in by scrutiny we have a hiatus, a blank month in which nothing at all has happened over the future of this site.

"I think that is very unfortunate - there was never any doubt all the options are still being looked at, this is an irresponsible waste of taxpayers' money."

Despite opposition from Labour councillors the majority of the committee voted to delete any reference to the site's preferred option being housing, and ask officers to undertake a "full" appraisal of the land's future.

Selling the site to a developer could bring the council a £500,000 windfall.