A PETITION raising concerns about the proposed £19m redevelopment of the Sands Centre has been launched.

Swimmers, who regularly use the The Pools in James Street, are concerned about the reduction in the number of pools, flood risk at the proposed site and possible pollution from chemicals used in water treatment.

They are also concerned about the loss of a smaller pool, used by parents with babies and toddlers, and crucially future of the Turkish Health Suite which dates back to 1874.

John Mather, who set up the petition, wants clarification of what will happen to the James Street facility, which is also owned by Carlisle City Council.

He wants to know how the authority plans to accommodate all swimmers in the new development which has fewer pools.

"They haven't said what would happen to the pools but I would be surprised if they were going to run the pools in tandem with the new development," he said.

"[The Turkish Baths] it's heritage and we seem to be losing so much in Carlisle. That should be celebrated as a real classic piece of late Victorian architecture."

Mr Mather moved to the area in 1976 and has used the pools for more than 40 years. Ideally, he would have liked them to be refurbished instead.

He already has about 70 signatures on a paper petition and has launched an online version on change.org.

He understands however that the development will go ahead, with planning permission already granted, but feels these are important questions which haven't been answered.

The Turkish Health Suite, which is decorated with ornate columns and green, blue and yellow tiling, was awarded Grade II listed status by English Heritage in 2010. Inspectors said the inside of the building was impressive, reporting that the centrepiece of the suite, the cold room, remained essentially unchanged since its construction.

The council has offered to address the concerns raised by the petition and said there are currently no plans to close the Turkish baths. The facilities in James Street could form part of future regenerations plans, it has said.

The Sands Centre was considered the most sustainable and viable site for the development due to its edge of centre location with good pedestrian links to the city centre and its established leisure use.

Planning permission was granted on November 26 last year. The Environment Agency (EA) and Cumbria County Council, as the Lead Local Flood Authority, raised no objection to the planning application. The EA considered that the proposal would not be at an acceptable risk of flooding or exacerbate flood risk elsewhere.

Carlisle Flood Action Group fears the development could make future flooding worse. It said historical information and local knowledge have not been adequately

researched leading to flaws in the flood risk assessment conclusion of the site's acceptability for development.

Carlisle City Council spokesperson said: “We want to improve the standard and quality of our major leisure facilities. The Sands Centre redevelopment provides the opportunity to create first-class theatre, leisure and swimming facilities on a single site.

"The current and future users of the facilities are key to its development and we welcome their views.

"We are already in discussions with the petitioner and have offered to meet him to discuss and address his concerns."

The new development will include two swimming pools, a 120-station fitness suite, exercise and dance studios and a new four-court sports hall and gallery. The existing spots hall will be transformed into a dedicated auditorium and the new facility will also include an NHS physiotherapy suite and bar and cafe facilities.

The climbing wall and a squash court, contained in the existing Sands Centre, will not be incorporated into the new development.

To sign the online petition click here.