Peterborough City Council leader vows £36 million swimming pool construction does not depend on major tax rise
The leader of Peterborough City Council has declared that the construction of a £36 million indoor swimming pool does not hang on residents’ support for a huge hike in Council Tax.
The assurance from Labour Councillor Shabina Qayyum comes as she prepares to launch a public consultation on proposals to raise Council Tax above the five per cent national limit.
Residents and businesses will be asked if they would support such an increase if they knew there was to be more money put into a range of public services including ‘investing more in leisure, including a new indoor swimming pool’.
She says that every additional £1.1 million of income that could be generated per each one per cent increase above the 4.99 per cent Council Tax limit could be used to protect services.
The council is currently facing a £2.3 million budget gap in the 2026/27 financial year but it is feared this could reach £9.3 million.
But Cllr Qayyum said: “We are not saying that a new pool is dependent upon a rise in Council Tax above the national limit."
Yet funding the proposed £36 million indoor swimming pool is expected to be a major challenge.
Cllr Qayyum said: “However, the pool will need to be funded some way and as yet we don't know how much funding we may need to put towards a new pool as we don't know how much we might receive from the government.
"We also don't know what contribution the CPCA may make.”
Members of the council’s ruling cabinet, which meets on October 14, are expected to choose the 25 metre-long, eight lane swimming pool from four options, with prices ranging from £27 million to £47 million, drawn up by the city’s pool steering group.
Five months ago, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves in her Spending Review, announced the creation of a £240 million Growth Mission Fund and mentioned a new swimming pool in Peterborough as a project that could qualify for help.
But members of the cabinet will be told that since then no further details have been published although it is still expected that the replacement pool will be eligible for the bid and if successful funds could be available from April 2026.
Councillors will be told that developing a new pool complex will require ‘significant external funding’ before the project can be viable.
And it is likely that funding will be required from several sources.
Council chiefs are currently exploring all opportunities available including Sport England, Living Sport, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and private funding opportunities.