A city councillor says plans are in the pipeline to get a new swimming pool built to replace Speedwell pool.

Liberal Democrat Patrick Hassell, who was elected in June, says the area needs a new facility to replace the pool which closed in 2005.

But it is understood it could cost up to £4 million to make it a reality.

Mr Hassell says east Bristol is desperately lacking a pool and says residents in his ward, Hillfields, need to travel to Easton to reach their nearest city pool or use pools in South Gloucestershire.

The 62-year-old engineer said: "We made a new pool in east Bristol a manifesto commitment and it was one of our "Six to Fix" priorities.

"Although there's no money in this year's capital spend, it won't stop us going forward with site selection and going forward with funding options. I understand there are various sources of money for the project.

"Horfield Leisure Centre is an excellent facility and a model of what we want to achieve in east Bristol.

"Speedwell Pool needed a lot of investment and it wasn't ideal for that because it was surrounded by allotments, which nobody wanted to lose."

Retired postman Tony Martin, 63, who lives in Whitefield Road a few hundred yards from the closed pool, says he backs the plan to build a new one in the area.

He said: "The only thing we did have in this area was a swimming pool and they've taken it away. There's nothing else here. For a pool we have to go to Soundwell, Easton or Longwell Green."

One shopkeeper at nearby Lodge Causeway said she moved away from the area as a result of the pool closing.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said one possible site for a new pool is a patch of land formerly occupied by factory and commercial units near Morrisons.

She said: "It's right on the cycle track and would be a brilliant place for a new pool. I moved out of Bristol to South Gloucestershire because I was so annoyed at the pool closure."

Speedwell Swimming Baths closed in 2005 along with four other pools in the city, Henbury, Bristol North, Filwood and the Robin Cousins Sports Centre in Shirehampton.

Henbury Leisure Centre and Horfield Leisure Centre have been opened in their place and the council plans to build another leisure centre in Hengrove by 2011.

Speedwell Pool was bought by Themejob, a property management company, and plans were submitted to convert the building into a block of flats.