Swimming pool to reopen after damage to roof

The swimming pool at Kingfisher Leisure Centre will reopen on 11 December

A swimming pool which was forced to close in August after a glass roof panel was damaged is due to finally reopen next month.

Initially the Kingfisher Leisure Centre pool in Sudbury, Suffolk, was only due to be shut until mid-September.

But then inspectors realised that other panels were also affected, leading to further delays.

The facility will reopen on 11 December, but with interim safety measures in place.

Babergh council's Green Party cabinet member for thriving communities, Laura Smith, said the glass roof had now been sealed with a new safety platform installed beneath it.

"We'd like to thank everyone for their understanding - we know this closure has caused disruption, but we have had to put people's safety first," she said.

"This has been a complex problem, and we have had to balance the need to reopen the pool as quickly as possible with finding the best long-term solution."

The council is now considering its options for the longer term - including removing all 170 of the specially-designed panels and replacing them with a different kind of roof.

"This could present a better option than a like-for-like replacement of the existing glass, and we are working on the design and costings," she added.

Other repairs to the pool were carried out while it was closed.

More than £2.3m was spent modernising the leisure centre in 2019.