Peterborough pool to be demolished with new one built by 2028

Councillors suggested they will investigate the feasibility of building a 50m pool

A council has agreed to build a new pool that could be finished by 2028.

Peterborough City Council has agreed to demolish the pool on Bishop's Road after it closed last year due to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

It is estimated a new pool could cost £30m, while the original building would need £26.3m of repairs.

The head of a swimming club welcomed the decision but said it was still faced with a "long wait".

Morgan Stevenson, co-chair of the City of Peterborough Swimming Club, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We've been waiting for a new pool for a long time and the frustration is we've had to get to the point where the regional building has failed to force the decision.

"2028 is a long wait and we've seen plans and promises made in the past.

"The need now is for decisive action and tangible progress to deliver a facility for the now and the future needs of our growing city."

The pool was built in the 1970s and closed in September after "high risk" Raac was found in the building.

Councillors decided to keep the pool closed due to the repair costs.

Issues with the site included structural cracking, out-of-date mechanical and electrical installations, as well as damaged asbestos.

'National grade'

Council leader Mohammed Farooq, of the Peterborough First group, agreed on Monday to demolish the pool.

Demolition of the site could cost about £2.5m, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The next step will be to build an outline business case for the new pool, followed by procurement of an operator and developer.

It is expected that the council will award a contract between September 2025 and January 2026, after which building work will begin.

Mr Stevenson said he hoped the replacement would include a 50-metre pool to "bring new revenue to the city through the ability to run the national grade of swim meets".

Councillors suggested they would investigate the feasibility of building a 50m pool.

The planned new pool would include a teaching pool, splash pool, cafe, sports hall, gym, clip and climb facility and soft play area.