PLANS to sell off an East Lancashire swimming baths for £240,000 have dismayed a veteran councillor.

Campaigners called time last October on their efforts to save the closed Haslingden Pool, in East Bank Avenue.

And now Rossendale councillors will meet to discuss proposals to offload the 82-year-old venue, which was mothballed in 2013.

But Cllr Granville Morris, a former borough mayor who represents the town's Greenfield ward, is concerned that the property has been undervalued.

He claims the authority received an expression of interest in the building which valued it at £400,000, before the community campaign group HAPPI was formed.

Cllr Morris said: "I'm disappointed with the marketing of the pool because it was placed up for sale for offers in the region of £175,000."

He is also concerned that while the proceeds from the sale may be ring-fenced to benefit Haslingden, the cash will be spent on town centre regeneration rather than much-needed swimming provisions.

Profits should be redirected towards providing a replacement facility at the Adrenaline venue, formerly Haslingden Sports Centre, he believes.

Stuart Sugarman, the council's chief executive, said in a report: "The freehold sale of the former Haslingden Baths at £240,000, £65,000 above the asking price, represents best value, provides a future positive use with regeneration benefits and supports further investment in Haslingden."

He told councillors they had received two unconditional offers since it was placed on the market, one for £175,000 and the other for £240,000.

The first offer proposed housing for the location and the second would see the developed for residential use or as a transport museum.

Councillors heard that campaigners from HAPPI had been invited to make a bid but had declined and the building would be deregistered from the borough's community assets register this September.