Flintshire county council applied for a £1.5m grant to fund the project at Buckley in Flintshire but were turned down by the Sports Council for Wales' Sportlot panel.

Flintshire council will consider pool plans

The panel decided that the spending could not be justified when there swimming facilities just five miles away in Mold.

Following the announcement, a Buckley councillor demanded that the replacement of the existing 1930's swimming pool should now be funded from the local authority's own resources.

Councillor Neville Phillips, a campaigner for the proposed facilities, said: "This is very bad news but the promise has been made by the leader of Flintshire Council, councillor Alex Aldridge, at a public meeting that in the life-time of this authority a start will be made on a new swimming pool on the Buckley Elved School site.

"The current authority continues until 2004. That promise has been made and knowing Alex Aldridge, I am sure he will keep that promise.

We are extremely disappointed at the national panel's decision not to support the building of a new pool at Buckley

Flintshire council spokeswoman

"This is a blow for the authority but I don't think it can renege on what has been promised to the people of Buckley," he added.

Council officials expressed regret at Sportlot's decision not to award cash to the project.

"We are extremely disappointed at the national panel's decision not to support the building of a new pool at Buckley," said a Flintshire council spokeswoman.

"We will wait to see the detailed rationale for the national panel's decision before we determine how to respond," she added.

Panel decision

The Sports Council for Wales, which has an annual budget of £5m to spend on capital projects, denied that regional prejudice had influenced its decision not to inject cash into the scheme.

The decision regarding Buckley swimming pool has absolutely nothing to do with any regional prejudice

Dr Huw Jones, Chief Executive of Sportlot

Chief executive Dr Huw Jones said: "There has been a lot of discussion over recent months concerning a north / south divide.

"From a sports perspective, north Wales is actually doing better than other parts of the country," he added.

Last year, Wrexham had the highest lottery funding with £5m and Gwynedd was awarded £4m.

"The decision regarding Buckley swimming pool has absolutely nothing to do with any regional prejudice," said Dr Jones.

"Panel decisions are based purely on sports development impact and strategic need," he added.

Officials from Sportlot added that Flintshire had been given the three opportunities to make alternative bids for other schemes but nothing new had been put forward.