The planned conversion of the derelict Stirchley Baths into a community centre has been put on hold.

In one of its first acts since winning control of Birmingham City Council, the Labour leadership has stopped a £3.5 million bridging loan to fund work at swimming pool.

The move has angered Conservative councillors who backed the development.

Bournville councillor Rob Sealey said: “It’s shameful that the baths were closed by a Labour council. Now, 25 years later, a Labour council has cancelled funding to bring the building back into use.”

The loan was approved in March to kickstart the development and would have been paid back once work on a new Tesco superstore began.

The council would have raised the money from the sale of the Stirchley Community Centre and indoor bowls site to Tesco.

But the Tesco store has been stalled for a decade due to on-going court action from Midlands Co-op, which wants to put its own supermarket in Stirchley.

Tesco won the latest round of court action last month.

The loan became a local election issue, with claims the Tories had pushed the deal through without consultation before they lost control of the council. Conservatives claimed the deal would see Stirchley Baths regenerated sooner rather than later.

The new council’s deputy leader elect, Ian Ward, said the decision has been put on ice until a proper assessment can be made.

He added: “We are questioning the process over which the decision was taken.

"We also don’t believe there was meaningful consultation with the community.”