DAYS after Reading’s Chris Mears triumphed in Rio – there have been fresh calls to rethink plans to close the swimming pool where he honed his skills as a young diver.

It was announced last November that Central Pool, on Battle Road, where Chris once trained with Albatross Diving Club, is closing at the end of next year because the decaying 50-year-old facility is too expensive to run.

Despite assurances to replace the pool in the future, some members of Albatross Diving Club believe temporary accommodation at Rivermead Leisure Centre will be as good as it gets.

“The council just do not want to know,” said Jeff Pearce, 67, of the Albatross Diving Club.

“We’ve produced an Olympic champion and they just do not want to know anymore.

"This is the only diving facility in Berkshire, it’s where we’ve been for decades.

“This is a chance to invest into the future, to produce more medallists, but they just don’t want to know.”

The Battle Street site is the borough’s only competition-sized pool and home to both Reading Swimming Club and the Albatross Diving Club.

A location has not yet been selected for the replacement of Central Pool, but the temporary facility at Rivermead Leisure Centre will have an eight-lane, 25-metre extension built.

Although Albatross Diving Club have welcomed the interim facility and planned investment, the fact that the temporary location at Rivermead Leisure Centre will not have a full range of diving boards has hit a nerve.

Reading Borough Council said they were fully committed to ensuring a high quality of provisions for diving in the future. They denied the closure of Central Pool was the death knell for diving in the area.

A spokeswoman said: “The Albatross Diving Club is a valued and important part of Reading’s sporting community.

“The council would like to add its congratulations to Chris Mears., who started his diving career with the club, on his outstanding achievement in securing Olympic gold in the men’s synchronised three-metre springboard.

“Short term investment in Central Pool is allowing it to remain open until the temporary pool is operational, but it is not possible to add full weight boards to the temporary pool.

“We fully appreciate in the interim the diving club will need to make alternative arrangements elsewhere in the region, but longer term we aim to support the club with state-of-the-art diving facilities, which not many towns the size of Reading offer.

“Central Pool remains well-used, but it is no secret it is ageing and, in reality, nearing the end of its life. Regular users will know the pool has been forced to shut a number of times recently for essential works.

“At a time when the council needs to make major savings in the face of unprecedented Government cuts, ultimately it makes no sense to continue to pour money in outdated facilities in order to keep them going for a limited time.”

The council estimate around £10 million needs to be spent on maintaining outdated leisure facilities in the borough, including £5 million to upgrade Central Pool.