"I don't see that the current situation necessarily makes a pool less likely to be built. Aren't we simply back in the position before the Mayor decided to look at the options for redeveloping the whole site including Lousie House - ie a choice between a refurbishment of the existing pools, redevelopment retaining the existing facade, or a rebuild."

Not at all! When that consultation was carried the pools were functioning, now they are closed. Surely to put a spanner in the works of the a closed pool has a very different side effect than doing it when a pool is functioning.
And the side effect is felt at both ends, the public doesn't see a solution coming anytime soon, and the Council is not bothered because it doesn't spend money to run the pool.
Really, if the Council wants to derail any refubishment plan and have it their way they only need to sit on their hands.

Just to refresh memories, at the time of the 2005 consultation the Council had just changed its policy from that of foreseeing 4 pools for the borough to that of foreseeing 5. The pool that should have been lost in their plans until then was Forest Hill Pool. It had been declared redundant because in the same catchment area of the Bridge.
In that respect the very long campaign for Forest Hill Pools managed to hang on to it until the change of policy.
It is not a very well kept secret that the Council had had its eyes on that plot of land for a long time, that's why the buildings are so run down. So to have them agreeing to "a" pool in Forest Hill is a great achievement and to have them agreeing to a pool and teaching pool and a gym is marvellous.
To believe that consultations are some sort of referenda is rather disingenuous, I believe that they are mostly there to a) pretend that the Council "listens" and b) give to the Council a pulse reading of the likely opposition to one or the other option. That's what they are mostly for, the decision is of the Mayor, if he takes too many decisions that people disagree too much with then you change the Mayor.
What the Mayor thought when he announced refurbishment is irrelevant, what matters is that now the Council had decided to spend over ?10m on this new pool and to make the rest of the money out of the housing scheme. I believe that it is the housing scheme component that make them commit the extra money, if you take that away then you give them one big reason for not committing a substantial part of these money and this means a financial gap and a very good reason for them sitting on their hands and watch the pool and the listed Louis House slowly crumble.
I understand how important those buildings are to many, and I'd love to be able support their retention but a working local swimming pool makes a hell of a difference to the life of a lot of people and as it was discussed earlier in this thread there isn't really another plot of land that could host a swimming pool nearby.
The Council was ready to work on this at a pace but now it goes all up in the air. I'm sorry, I still think that this was a big mistake.