New swimming pool costs are covered says council

Residents anticipating the opening of a new swimming pool in two years have been told the cost of the facility will not rise any further.

Peterborough City Council's cabinet accepted a £20m government grant towards the cost of a new eight-lane, 25-metre swimming pool last week.

The total expected cost of the project has now risen by £6m to £43m, meaning the city council will likely need to borrow £23m to fund the project.

Ian Phillips, head of communities at the council, said: "In hindsight we probably should have asked for a little bit more when we first came to cabinet and just to have that bit more of a ceiling."

At the cabinet meeting, council officers explained that the cost of the new leisure complex would not increase again and they were confident that the new funding agreement was more than sufficient.

Phillips said: "I am quite confident that we are in a very good place now. The amount of funding that we have requested does include contingencies and does include a ceiling for anything.

"When we get into contract in the new year or late Christmas we will have a fixed price contract so costs will not increase beyond what is signed off at that stage."

The authority has previously said that it would fund the rest of the scheme itself.

The price hike is due to several factors including further design work, site investigations, world conflicts, inflation uncertainty, pre-planning application feedback and construction cost increases.

As well as the eight-lane pool, the leisure complex will also feature a 20-metre activity pool with a moveable floor, a café, family play, health and wellbeing rooms, a 150-station fitness suite and two studios, plus a spin studio.

The new swimming pool has been designed to replace the demolished Regional Pool and is set to be located south of the university and adjacent to the athletics track, overlooking the Embankment.

Independent councillor for Barnack ward, Kevin Tighe said: "This administration inherited a massive hole in terms of absence of swimming provision.

"I know that even when the Regional Pool was in place the city was below standard, so once we lost that main provision it was a real step backwards. This just can't come quickly enough."

The city council said work would start in early 2027.

Despite the increased costs, the project remains on track for a building opening in September 2028.

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