LEDBURY Swimming Pool could have its hours reduced due to cuts.

Halo Leisure, which runs the site, has confirmed opening times could be affected due to possible redundancies.

However, Jon Argent, chief executive of Halo, which runs the pool for Herefordshire Council, denied it will close.

He said: “There could be reduced opening hours. We are assessing these and staffing levels at the pool but no decisions have been made.

“We are in the middle of a consultation with the unions, and it would be improper of me to comment further.”

Councillor Peter Watts, a trustee of Halo, said there could also be cuts at other sites it runs in the county but had no further information ahead of a meeting next week.

He said the job cuts were necessary because £1.4 million of Herefordshire Council funding to Halo, towards the running of nine centres, has been axed this financial year.

Coun Watts added: “Central government has withdrawn some funding from us and Herefordshire Council is being made to look like the bad guy.”

There are about 40 staff members at the Ledbury site.

Rumours of the pool closure were aired by Elmsdale Road residents Richard and Heidi Klimeck, who are calling for the pool to be “repaired, not closed”.

Mr Klimeck said his wife had been told by a lifeguard he was to be made redundant in July or August, with other lifeguards moving to the Hereford pool.

Mr Klimeck said: “We were told they are going to close the Ledbury pool on health and safety grounds, because of problems with one extractor fan in the roof.”

Coun Watts confirmed an £80,000 air handling unit in the roof, which controls moisture levels, does need replacing.

Mr Argent said the plan was to fix it. He added: “We are discussing this with the council at the moment. The plan is to fix it, which would significantly extend the life of the facility.”

The Lawnside Road area, where the pool is sited, has been earmarked as a location for possible future retail development in Herefordshire Council’s core strategy plan, the planning blueprint for the next 20 years.

As reported, last month surveyors spent two days working on the area with the permission of Herefordshire Council.