ARCHAEOLOGISTS have started work in St Albans to help progress plans for the redevelopment of Westminster Lodge swimming pool. The Abbey Theatre car park next to the pool was closed last Thursday and Friday for the work which involved carrying out both

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have started work in St Albans to help progress plans for the redevelopment of Westminster Lodge swimming pool.

The Abbey Theatre car park next to the pool was closed last Thursday and Friday for the work which involved carrying out both geophysical and topographical surveys.

Information gathered from the surveys will be fed into the design and planning process of the �19-million project, which proposes new leisure developments at both Westminster Lodge and Cotlandswick in London Colney.

A district council spokesperson said that surveys of the grass areas at Westminster Lodge and all of the Cotlandswick space would be completed by the end of this week.

She added: "Once the results of all the archaeological surveys are in, the council's archaeologist will be able to determine whether or not further trial pits or excavations need to be carried out before construction works commence."

The proposed Westminster Lodge redevelopment is to include a 25-metre swimming pool, a learner pool with a moveable floor, a health suite and spa and a large fitness suite.