Plans for a new swimming pool at a redeveloped leisure centre in South Oxhey were discussed at length by Three Rivers District Council, despite the project having suffering "a serious setback".

The South Oxhey Initiative has been left without a development partner after Catalyst Housing walked away from the project, the second company to do so.

Despite this, the district council met on Monday (September 30) to hear a presentation from architects about a new swimming pool and leisure centre complex.

The plans detailed three options, ranging from a new pool attached to the existing facility in Gosforth Lane, to the complete demolition and rebuild of the centre.

The existing leisure centre, built only 11 years ago, suffers from sports courts that are too small, overheating problems, too little daylight, and unsuitable changing rooms.

The Sir James Altham pool, the estate’s current swimming facility, is also past its best, according to a report.

The council said it was "essential" for the new centre to include a 25 metre main pool, with four lanes, a learning pool, improved changing facilities and a cafe and multipurpose rooms.

Despite not having been provided with costs, the council voted for the most expensive option, a complete rebuild, and the second most expensive option, a slightly scaled down version.

These will now be passed to the leisure committee for further investigation.

Councillor Joan King said: "The South Oxhey Initiative has stalled. People’s lives are on hold. If we can’t find the money for that then how can we find the money for a new pool?

"I don’t want everybody’s hopes to be built up only for it to be taken away. That is the worst possible scenario for the people of South Oxhey."

The debate was held despite the fact the funding for the scheme, which involves the rebuild of 450 homes in South Oxhey, has been pulled.

Steve Cox, leader of the Three Rivers District Council Labour group, described this as a "serious setback".

The council’s Liberal Democrat leader, Ann Shaw, said the exit of catalyst was "an irritation" rather than a significant blow, and suggested it was "much better to find that out now, rather than nine months down the line".

Councillor Cox, who represents South Oxhey, said: "This whole project has descended into farce and chaos. Make no mistake about it, this is a serious setback.

"Here we are more than two years down the line from when all this talk first started and there’s still nothing concrete. Developers just walk away. Nothing has been delivered except uncertainty, false dawns and disappointments."

Plans to redevelop South Oxhey have been on the cards after 30 flats between Fairfield Avenue and Oxhey Drive have been identified by the council as being beyond repair and in need of replacing.

Thrive Homes had initially been in negotiations to be the housing provider in the project, but the association pulled out in November.