The chairman of a swimming club has called on Kingston Council to deliver on the results of a public consultation that revealed securing New Malden’s only leisure centre for the future was residents’ biggest concern.

The Malden Centre, in Blagdon Road, in the Cocks Crescent redevelopment area, has a gym, sports hall and a 25m swimming pool. There are concerns the centre could be closed as part of the planned redevelopment, which went to public consultation in July.

Kingston Royals Swimming Club (KRSC), which runs classes at the Malden Centre, has expressed concern the group could be left without a swimming pool.

KRSC chairman Tim Boden said: “The fact that the club was specifically referred to in the consultation document shows how strongly our representations were to this short consultation.

"I appeal to the council and the New Malden Futures group that instigated this project to now deliver on the demands of the consultation and upgrade the leisure centre to a pool we can all be proud of, which would benefit all Kingston borough aquatic clubs, the community and schoolchildren.”

The swimming club is pushing to see another pool built in Kingston to take the strain away from the borough’s two existing public swimming pools, the second being at the Kingfisher leisure centre, in Fairfield Road.

KRSC vice-chairman Julian Oldfield said: “The present infrastructure in the borough is either coming to the end of its working life or not fit for purpose.

“Our members – as young as 10 – are having to train at 5am due to the demands of the public for the pool at 6.30am and throughout the day. There is a queue nearly round the block at that time.”

New Malden Councillor Ken Smith said: “What we would like is a leisure centre of repute. The one we have got is 50 years old.”

Results from the Kingston Council-led public consultation in collaboration with the New Malden Future Group had 467 responses and 127 people said not being able to keep the leisure centre for the future was their main concern.