Families visiting a leisure centre “famous” for its slides say they will stop going if a controversial £19m revamp sees them removed.

Tides Leisure Centre in Deal is due for an “exciting” renovation in the next three years – but under the current proposals, the site is set to lose its wave pool, flume and slides.

It comes as Labour-led Dover District Council (DDC) has approved the next stage of its project, led by Alliance Leisure Services, to overhaul the centre.

A proposed splash pad area for children that was initially in the plans has been scrapped, while the wave pool, red flume and three small slides are due to be replaced by a new five-lane 25-metre pool.

But despite the scheme being green-lit by the authority’s cabinet, council leader Kevin Mills (Lab) says it has been approved with an agreement to “further explore leisure options”.

Families who visit the centre say while it may be tired, they would like to see the slides stay as they are the “main attraction”.

Mum Georgina Connelley, from Elham, who visits Tides with her son James, said: “There are lots of adult pools around so it would be a shame to lose this.

“My son is at the age where he wants the fun side of swimming.”

Jade Pooley, who visits the pool with her two-year-old daughter Ottie, agreed, saying Tides is “famous” for its facilities for children and it would be a shame to lose them.

“We drive here from Folkestone because of the slides,” she said.

“It will be like Dover’s leisure centre if they get rid of the slides, it's nice there, and we do go there too, but the kids can get a bit bored.

“Tides is quite famous in Kent, everyone knows about it.

“I remember my dad bringing me here and now I get to bring my daughter, the slides are her favourite bit and it's actually fun for an adult too.

“It's good for them to learn to have the courage to try something new and to go under the water, it's more playful so they learn to be curious.”

Proposals had previously been put forward to demolish the centre, or just the pool, but after a DDC cabinet meeting in November last year, it was decided a new option had to be found.

Now, to combat a £8.9m deficit to fund the work, all leisure water facilities have been removed under the new scheme and, instead of opting for a full rebuild, DDC says the existing site will be refurbished.

The latest proposals were given the go-ahead at a DDC cabinet meeting on Monday night, but Cllr Mills says there is still time for the “exciting” plans to change.

Council papers show the authority, which is yet to submit a planning application for the scheme, still has a budget gap of £3m for the project.

The renovation is set to include adding more gym equipment, 12 toning tables, a spin studio, two multi-activity spaces, and cafe area.

Cllr Mills said: “The decision was made to go ahead with the plan but the cabinet all expressed concerns about the loss of leisure facilities, so we have asked the planning advisory group to cost out, and look at, leisure aspects of the pool, as in a splash area and something for the older children which is not just what we have in Dover.

“We still have that blackhole to fill but we will do everything we can to make sure we do fill that.

“We have also asked them to look at costing a six-lane, instead of a five-lane pool.

“Although we have said we will start moving forward with it, we still have time to fine-tune it because if our finances change over the next few years, we don't want to have sold it short.

“We have a responsibility to make sure every child in this district on the coast can swim, but the greatest demand is still for lane swimming so we have to balance those demands which is always difficult while trying to make the books balance.“

Finding a compromise is something mum India Pearson-Clarke, who visits Tides with two-year-old Malou, agrees should be considered.

“We probably wouldn't come here if they changed it to an adult pool because we have plenty of them near us,” she said.

“I don't know why they can't do both.

“Some other places have slides but there is nothing else like this.”

Dad Neil Gargaro was visiting the town last week with his daughters Ayla, 10 and Aria, six, when he was searching for activities in the drizzly weather.

The 42-year-old from Bexleyheath said: “I Googled where is best for slides and this was the first place that popped up.

“It would be a real shame for the kids if they took them away.

“It's like taking the fun away, it's the only reason we came here.

“It's no hardship for an adult to drive elsewhere but it is getting harder and harder to find things for youngsters to do.

“It's also a safety thing, I want them to feel confident around the pool and I know if they're having fun they are more likely to learn.”

George Whitman, who visits with sons Charlie, six, and Frankie, two, said: “We probably wouldn't come here if they got rid of the slides.

“This is one of the best places with slides around.

“We come around once a month for the fun aspect of it and the kids love it.

“I think it should be kept for kids because there are not many just for kids around here.”

Grandfather Clive Brown specifically travelled to Deal from Whitstable to go to Tides with four-year-old granddaughter Sofia.

The 64-year-old said it “would be sad” to see the leisure areas go.

“I couldn't take my granddaughter to a pool that's 4ft deep in the shallow end with people trying to swim up and down,” he explained.

“You need bits like this to keep kids interested in swimming.

“It builds their confidence so they can get out and do things instead of sitting inside all the time.”

Deal resident Veronica Bailey, who visits Tides to use the gym and fitness classes, says DDC needs to find a way to please both adults and children.

“The swimming pool is more of a paddling pool, it's for children, not for adults,” she said.

“Building a pool for adults is a good thing but if that means taking something away from children then it's bad.

“Why can't they find a way to make everybody happy?

“In the holidays it is always full of kids. They enjoy the slides, you can see them going up the ladder and jumping down which is nice to see.

“If they are going to improve it with the population in Deal growing they should find a way to make it work for everybody.“

DDC says the latest proposals have been developed to an “early feasibility stage and could still be subject to change”.

A further report is set to return to cabinet in December.

Since April, the red flume has been closed to the public due to an irreparable structural defect in the stairwell, estimated to cost £85,000.

The indoor tennis centre and four-court sports hall constructed in a previous extension are being retained as both remain in reasonable condition.

DDC says it hopes the project will give the facility a 50-year lifespan.

Tides in Park Avenue was originally built in 1987 and has been earmarked for redevelopment since 2018, but the pandemic initially stalled the plans.