GOUROCK'S historic outdoor pool is on a hit list of facilities that could CLOSE to help plug a £3.4 million council funding gap.

The future of the iconic 110-year-old Albert Road attraction is under the spotlight as local authority officials try to find ways of balancing the books amid funding cuts from the Scottish Government.

One of the options currently on the table is a reduction in the fee paid to Inverclyde Leisure to run council-owned sites such as Gourock Pool, which could result in it closing altogether.

Local authority chiefs stress that no decisions have been made on any budget proposals and that councillors will make the final decisions.

Gourock representatives Chris McEleny, of the SNP, and independents Lynne Quinn and Ronnie Ahlfeld have vowed to make sure the outdoor pool remains open.

Mr McEleny said: "Councillors are still to review potential savings and efficiencies to try and form a consensus on what next year's budget will look like, and reaching a consensus is absolutely what the SNP want to do.

"However, without going into specific detail at the moment, clearly there are certain proposals that won't be accepted and I'm sure that all Gourock councillors would agree that the River Clyde would need to dry up before we accepted the closure of Gourock Outdoor Pool."

Although the pool features on the list, the adjoining fitness gym would not close should a decision be made to pull the plug.

Councillor Quinn said: "I can safely speak for Ronnie as well in saying that will not be happening. "The management fee is up for consideration and sometimes when the budget comes up it includes worst-case scenarios and what the consequences would be. "There could be a discussion about the management fee but it will not be about Gourock Pool.

"There's savings that have to be made and none of us want to be in that position. "Gourock Pool is not just about swimming and keeping fit, it's a tourist attraction and one of the main tourist attractions in Inverclyde.

"In fact, we should be promoting it more instead of putting it up for a potential cut."

Councillors are due to meet next month to approve next year's spending plans.

A council spokesman said: "After the most recent announcements in the Scottish Parliament, the gap in Inverclyde's budget has been reduced but is still £3.389m. "Councillors in the cross-party members budget working group have been examining a range of savings and cuts to services to plug that gap. "No savings have been agreed yet and no decision has been made on whether or not to increase the council tax for Inverclyde residents. "The council's budget meeting takes place on March 21. "It will include considering a potential saving on Inverclyde Leisure's management fee as well as a range of other savings and cuts to services to try to plug the funding gap the council faces."

A spokesman from Inverclyde Leisure said: “Councillors in the cross-party members budget working group have been examining a range of savings and cuts to Inverclyde Leisure’s management fee.

"No savings have been agreed and no decisions have been made at this time."