SENIOR councillors have backed controversial plans to construct a new £12m leisure complex to replace an existing swimming pool in a heritage building after a second consultants' report on the issue.

Hyndburn Council cabinet on Wednesday confirmed the proposals for the new development at Wilsons Playing Fields in Clayton-le-Moors to replace the swimming pool and gym in Great Harwood's historic Mercer Hall.

The decision followed a second study undertaken by independent consultants after complaints about the methodology and impartiality of the original report.

Council deputy leader Cllr Marlene Haworth said the new leisure centre was vital to boost health and physical activity in the borough and promised to look at options for the future use of Mercer Hall.

But campaigning Overton Labour councillor Colin McKenzie - who this week revealed three objections to the Wilsons Playing fields scheme from Sport England, Lancashire County Council's flood experts and Hyndburn Council's ecology officer - said the new report had simply come up with the idea borough bosses had first thought of.

He said any new swimming pool should be at Mercer Hall or the former gas holder site in Great Harwood.

Council leader Cllr Miles Parkinson said: "There is an emotional attachment to Mercer Hall. It is a fantastic building but I think we need to choose head over heart."

Cllr Haworth told the meeting: "Poor health and well-being in Hyndburn is a major issue.

"The current indoor and outdoor sport and leisure facilities in Hyndburn are ageing and require significant investment.

"The proposals will increase the provision of sports and leisure providing a robust platform to support more local residents to become more active, more often.

"They would increase the overall available water space for swimming within Hyndburn, thus enabling an increase in swimming participation.

"The new report considered the following sites: Mercer Hall; Wilsons Playing Fields; Windsor Recreation Ground, Great Harwood; land at Alan Ramsbottom Way, Great Harwood; and the former gas holding site in Great Harwood.

"The study recommends that Wilson Playing Fields should be the preferred option.

"The site is already an established leisure and sports location, located between Great Harwood and Clayton le Moors.

"There are immediate and existing links to good quality sports facilities.

"It offers a good balance between accessibility, participation, long-term management and deliverability.

"The study concluded that no other sites are wholly suitable to accommodate the required development.

"It considered the potential to refurbish or upgrade the Mercer Hall building to accommodate the identified leisure requirement

"The study highlights the building is not currently large enough to do this, in particular to accommodate the 25 metre/ four lane swimming pool, and concludes that Mercer Hall does not offer the possibility to provide the level and quality of accommodation required.

"However, the study identified that the facility does have potential for other uses."

Cllr McKenzie said after the meeting: "They have commissioned a study which came up with the idea that they first thought of.

"The best place for a new swimming pool would be the old gas works in Great Harwood if not Mercer Hall."