Council approves £1.6m to reopen Sheffield's Ponds Forge

Ponds Forge was built in 1991 for the World Student Games

Plans to invest up to £1.6m in reopening a pool closed during the Covid-19 outbreak have been approved.

Ponds Forge in Sheffield will open next month after the city council agreed the extra funding.

It had been due to stay closed until April 2021 after Sheffield City Trust deemed it too expensive to reopen.

The decision, which comes on top of the £15m given to the trust in August, follows a campaign by local sports clubs against the closure.

The facility, built for the 1991 World Student Games, is used by a number of swimmers and divers who have competed at Olympic games and other international events, as well as the general public.

Last month, Sheffield City Trust, which runs Ponds Forge and a number of other leisure and entertainment venues in the city, said it planned to mothball the site along with the Sheffield Arena and City Hall.

That decision led a number of local groups to campaign against the move, with City of Sheffield Diving Club coach Tom Owens saying the closure would deprive aspiring athletes of the chance to "chase their dreams", while City of Sheffield Water Polo Club were forced to train outdoors.

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Explaining why the trust needed the additional investment, chairman David Grey told cabinet members: "We turnover about £30m a year, about £2.6m a month, and that turnover has collapsed as we've been unable to open our big money spinners such as the arena and the City Hall.

"The council has made the right decision. Providing a facility for the citizens of Sheffield is of paramount importance for people's health and wellbeing and although it's costing money at the moment, if we stopped it would cost this city an awful lot more money in future years."

Reacting to the news, Mr Owens told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "It feels like we now have three organisations all pushing in the same direction to get Ponds Forge reopened as quickly and safely as we can, and that will be to the benefit of so many people in the city."

Jack Buckner, chief executive of British Swimming, said: "After months of work from a number of stakeholders it is great to see this iconic venue, which has played host to many special aquatics moments down the years, will open its doors again."

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