Chelmsford Diving Club has announced it will be forced to close if the £25million plans for the Riverside Ice and Leisure Centre - which do not include diving facilities - go ahead.

Proposed plans for the leisure centre include a ten lane by 25m pool, splash and sensory zone, 120 station gym and more spectator seating.

But Chelmsford City Council, which has proposed the plans, has so far ruled out replacing the outdoor pool or diving boards, claiming that not enough people use the facilities to make it financially viable to provide them.

The outdoor pool was closed for health and safety reasons in October last year after asbestos was found in pipes.

Now Chelmsford Diving Club, where World Champion diver Rebecca Gallantree - who yesterday won gold in the World Aquatics Championships with Tom Daley - trained and launched her career, has said it will be forced to shut its doors if provision for diving boards is not made in the new plans.

Club chairman Adrian Randall said: "We are extremely proud of Rebecca Gallentree’s gold medal success in the World Championships.

"She started her diving career at the Chelmsford City Club and has not only won gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 she has now become a World Champion.

"To not include diving boards in the new Chelmsford scheme is a sporting tragedy for our city and means the club will be forced to close.

"How do you produce new champions if they can't discover they enjoy or are good at something?"

The club is fighting to save the 5m board and the 3m and 1m springboards at the centre. 

Other clubs Chelmsford and District Sub-Aqua Group, Chelmsford Swimming and Synchronised Swimming Club and the water polo club may also be affected as the depth of the new pool will be 2m rather than the diving pool's deeper 3.5m - 4m deep pool. 

Mr Randall added: "Also it's not just about the club but the whole area will be missing out on the use of the diving board for a laugh and a bit of fun.

"It's the only point of difference it has over other pools, lots have the swimming pool or soft play areas or other things but there aren't any diving pools or deep water pool facilities.

"Everyone I mention it to is shocked it won't be included, I think for a lot of people it's essential.

"We will continue to fight this with petitions and writing to the council and hopefully we can change their minds before it gets to planning stages.

"Basically, it is no diving boards, no club."

The Chelmsford Diving Club has been running for over 25 years and has four volunteer coaches and about 20 divers, some of which compete at a regional and national level.