THE FUTURE of a swimming club has been thrown into jeopardy after plans to close a community pool were announced.

Waltham Forest College in Forest Road, Walthamstow, has proposed closing its swimming pool to make way for redevelopments.

Waltham Forest Swimming Club trains at the pool four days a week because they cannot afford to train anywhere else in the borough.

Last November the club’s future was threatened after the Feel Good Centre in Chingford Road, Walthamstow, hiked their prices.

The centre raised the prices of a two-hour pool session from £152 to £180 after it reopened in September following a £26 million refurbishment by the council.

Now the future of the club, which has 270 members, has been thrown into uncertainty again.

Chairman of the club, Hannah Grimshaw said: “This is a shock for us. The pool provides a vital morning training session for our competitive swimmers. We won’t be able to afford any other pool in the borough so we are very unsure of the future of the club.

“Now we are the only competitive swimming club in the borough with a history dating back to 1986 but if we lose our morning sessions we will just become a learn to swim club.

“For the children it is a life line and they train five to eight times a week. We can’t train at any GLL pool because they charge twice as much as Waltham Forest College.”

Hundreds of people have signed an online petition calling on Waltham Forest College to keep the pool open.

As well as the swimming club losing their training venue, 22 jobs will be lost and 15 schools will have to look for another pool to use for lessons.

To sign the petition click here.

A public meeting to discuss the future of the pool will be held at Waltham Forest College on Tuesday, March 14, at 7pm.

Waltham Forest College has been contacted for a statement.