Purley residents could have to wait another three months to see what the options are for reopening their local swimming pool.

The project to open the pool, which has been closed since March 2020, is expected to cost at least £3.4 million.

Earlier this year, the previous Labour administration decided not to reopen the leisure centre.

It said it would cost £3million to repair and instead promised the site would be redeveloped to include a new pool.

New mayor of Croydon Jason Perry has promised to reopen the pool and fulfil a key election pledge.

A paper on the next steps in reopening the High Street leisure centre was presented to Croydon’s cabinet on Wednesday night.

The project will cost at least £3.4million and cabinet agreed for a £20,000 specialist report to be commissioned on options for the future of the pool.

The council said it will be funded by Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money – this is cash that developers pay to the council when new homes are built.

One of the six options put forward at the moment is for a new floor above the pool to create an 80-station gym which would “cost considerably more” but could improve the long-term viability of the pool.

The other options are to carry out only urgent repairs, refurbishing the centre in its current form, refurbishing and knocking through to the vacant supermarket next door, a new leisure centre on a different site and a redevelopment of the whole site with flats and a new pool.

Councilor Andy Stranack, cabinet member for communities and culture, said: “The report recognises that some of the options may cost more than the £3.4million budgeted, however, we are keen to examine all options.

“The cost of this specialist report is budgeted to cost £20,000 and it will take two to three months to complete.

"Once the options report is completed a further report will be presented to cabinet.”

He added that anything more than the £3.4 million would have to come from elsewhere.

But shadow cabinet councillor Brigitte Graham said that the project will not be a “quick fix” she said: “We welcome the commissioning of the specialist report and so we are happy to see that the previous administrations plan for Purley Pool is included.

“When will the Mayor level with the public and admit that Purley Pool was never a quick fix?

"The Conservative administration was going to shut the pool in 2014, now 10 years later you do a U-turn.”

Mayor Jason Perry hit back, accusing the opposition of being in a “parallel universe” and reiterating his commitment to reopening the pool.

He said: “When did I ever say it was a quick fix? At no point have I deceived the public, I will be opening a pool in Purley.

“Having visited the site myself in May, I remain committed to reopening Purley Pool as soon as possible.”