THE dream of a public swimming pool in South Woodford is still afloat after this year's Redbridge Council budget revealed that money remains available.

This time last year the council were in negotiation with property developer Tudorvale over a redevelopment of the Fenchurch House site in Woodford High Road that would have included a pool.

The council agreed to splash out £130,000 a year starting in 2005 to finance the running costs.

That proposal sank under the weight of local opposition but the money is still there for use if an agreement with a developer can be sealed.

Cabinet member for Leisure and Libraries Cllr Joyce Ryan said: "There's no developer there at the moment so the money is for the future.

"We would like a swimming pool in this end of the borough but we haven't got the money as a council to build it, it would have to come as part of a development."

Cllr Ryan explained that the money would be spent on other things if no deal surfaced but keeping in the budget outlook meant that it was ready to be channelled into a the maintenance of a pool if a developer decided to take the plunge.

She said: "That money is not there now because there is no commitment from a developer so there is no way of spending it now."

A budget report approved by Redbridge Council's cabinet this week stated: "Local residents have in recent years expressed a very strong preference for such a facility.

"The pool will probably become operational in 2005."