SUPPORTERS of a new swimming pool for Dorchester could be thrown a lifeline.

Hopes of a new pool on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall at Poundbury were dashed earlier this week when a special meeting at West Dorset District Council confirmed an earlier decision to withhold vital funding needed to get the scheme off the ground until at least 2008, because of financial constraints.

Now the Duchy of Cornwall, Wessex Sports Trust and developer Cornhill Estates, who together had pledged £3million towards the original £7.7million project may be set to go it alone by proposing to build a smaller sports centre on the site.

A gymnasium, caf and a smaller pool are all proposed in the smaller unit together with changing facilities which would accommodate the needs of larger pool users if one was built with funding from the district council in the future.

Kim Slowe, director of Dorchester-based developer Cornhill Estates said talks were ongoing to see if a smaller centre would be viable but he said he was confident that a proposal would be put forward shortly.

"We want to ensure the scheme is not lost altogether.

"We are going to send a letter to the district council with our proposals shortly. We would like build a smaller sports centre with fitness suite and gymnasium, a small pool and all the changing room facilities needed for a larger pool.

"It would have everything that the original proposal had but not the large 25- metre pool and of course would have no impact on the council tax in West Dorset.

"But it would leave it open to as and when the council is minded to fund a large pool for it to go ahead because the Duchy has said it will keep the land necessary available for future use."

Nigel Williams Chief Executive of Wessex Sports Trust, which would run any sports centre developed at Poundbury, said he was still holding out for the full scheme because he said that was what the people of Dorchester had said they wanted during consultation.

"We may go for a smaller scheme but we have not given up totally on the bigger scheme.

"We will be exploring all avenues of external funding again but we have not given up totally, and hope to do something."

West Dorset Coun Tim Harries, who spearheaded a campaign calling on the district council to reverse its decision to withhold funding said he welcomed any moves to keep the dreams of a new sports centre alive.