Labour councillors are calling for a progress report on plans to deliver a publicly accessible swimming pool on the University of York's new Heslington East campus. The council's alternative to a city centre swimming pool at the new campus is due to be delivered by 2011, but councillors say the council needs to be kept up to date with what progress the university has made, to ensure the 2011 deadline date is met.

Labour spokesperson for Leisure, Culture and Social Inclusion, Coun. Janet Looker said:

"This is a big issue for the city and it should not just sit with a few people who are in the loop. A proper pattern of progress reports needs to be started so that we can monitor the timetable and keep the project up to scratch. With the ongoing lack of progress with the Barbican Centre and so many missed opportunities there, we do not want to see the swimming pool suffer from lack of progress after a long period of neglect. The council has committed significant sums of money to this project and regular progress reports is the least it can expect".

York currently has two public swimming pools in Yearsley and Edmund Wilson, although the latter is to be replaced by a new pool on the Oaklands site in Acomb. This will leave swimming pools on the north and west sides of the city.

"With no public swimming provision on the east side of the city it is paramount that this pool keeps to schedule", said Coun. Looker. "It affects a significant proportion of the population, and for residents that are not close to a public swimming pool, a 3 year wait is quite long enough".