Work begins on leisure centre upgrades

Work to upgrade part of an old heating and ventilation system at King Alfred Leisure Centre in Hove has begun

Work to upgrade part of an old heating and ventilation system at a leisure centre in East Sussex has begun.

Brighton & Hove City Council said the work was to prolong the life of the pool and improve the environment for swimmers at King Alfred Leisure Centre in Hove.

Councillor Alan Robins said the pool was more than 40 years old and “coming to the end of its serviceable life”.

The £800,000 project is being undertaken while a decision is made on replacing the centre with a modern, energy-efficient new facility.

The council previously said two sites were being considered in the west of the city - the existing King Alfred site and land to the south of Sainsbury's car park at the junction of Old Shoreham Road and the A293.

More than 17,000 swim visits are recorded at the King Alfred each month.

Regular inspections have been carried out to monitor the condition of parts of the “ageing and outdated” building and the associated ductwork and ventilation system, the council said.

The work will include relocating the centre’s pool air handling unit, installing new ducting and filling in the old ducts with lightweight concrete.

Mr Robins said: “We will do everything we can to keep the centre open for as long as possible, so residents continue to enjoy swimming, while we progress our exciting plans to build a new leisure centre.”

The work, which will continue until late September, has been programmed to minimise disruption to the pool operation, and will include some overnight working.

There are currently no planned closures of the pool, the council said.

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