DEMOLITION work will start on the former Gloucester Park swimming pool this week.

Building firm Barratt Wilson Bowden is set to begin dismantling the building on the edge of Gloucester Park, off Broadmayne.

The old pool, which opened in 1968, was closed to the public in April. It was replaced by a larger Olympic-sized pool at the new Basildon Sporting Village, on the other side of Gloucester Park, off Cranes Farm Road.

Basildon Council sold the old pool for about £4million to Barratt Wilson Bowden, which will build 519 homes in its place – and on surrounding parkland.

Andrew Buxton, 42, of Roodegate, Basildon, founder of the Save Our Gloucester Park campaign, said: “It will be a sad day when they knock it down, because that pool’s part of Basildon’s history.

“We don’t want homes on the site and it’s going to be hell for the people living nearby, with all the dust and mess caused by the demolition and building work that will go on afterwards.”

The council sold the old pool to raise funds towards the £38million cost of the Sporting Village.

The building will be gradually dismantled over several days.

It was designed by Basildon Council architect Kenneth Cotton.

The new homes replacing the former pool will form part of Basildon Council’s £1billion regeneration masterplan for the town centre, which will also involve building 375 homes near Roodegate, and 144 town houses off Broadmayne.

More than 1,200 people objected to the redevelopment of the old pool site, but Basildon Council passed the application in June.

Kevin Blake, councillor responsible for leisure and arts, said: “The pool has served the local community wonderfully well for 43 years, including myself.

“But it has been replaced by the wonderful new Sporting Village that is transforming sports and leisure in Basildon.”