Swimming coach backs Peterborough Regional Pool demolition as 'only suitable option'
Councillors are due to decide on the plans today
Last updated 11th Mar 2024
A swimming club coach has said demolishing Peterborough's regional pool is the "only suitable option".
The city council's due to decide today whether to approve the demolition and seek investment in a new facility after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was found in the building last year.
It had closed in September due to damaged asbestos before RAAC was later identified.
Councillors have been told it would cost £26 million to repair the building, with £11.5m to remove the RAAC.
In a report ahead of its Cabinet meeting later, the council said the pool "has been a popular and well used destination, seeing an average of 25,000 visits per month.
"This key element of the city’s social infrastructure provides publicly accessible swimming for residents, local schools, colleges, and community groups helping to promote health and wellbeing."
"The only suitable option is demolition"
City of Peterborough Swimming Club (COPS) have used the regional pool as its home since the 1970s, the decade that the current building on Bishop's Road was first constructed.
But for the last six months, the club, which has 180 members, has been without a place to train and are currently using five different facilities in the region.
Ben Negus is head coach at COPS:
"There's certainly no way of replacing that RAAC safely without that heavy investment, so the only suitable option is demolition," he said.
"In terms of demolition, it needs to happen but we need to make sure new facilities are being put in place.
"(A new facility) is definitely something Peterborough needs and the facility itself has been well overdue for demolition, but unfortunately it is coming at a cost in terms of facility opportunity.
"I think if the council want to look after the city and future incumbents of the city, build a facility that's going to bring an opportunity to members because our current group are doing an awesome job in a poor situation."
What do the new plans include?
Peterborough City Council has said a new pool would cost around £30m to build.
The authority said plans for a new facility include an eight-lane 25-metre pool, teaching pool, sports hall and a soft play and family area.
The Regional Pool, on Bishop's Road, has six lanes and is 25m.
Council leader, Councillor Mohammed Farooq, said 2028 is the latest a new pool will open.