Swimming club chair speaks of ‘frustration’ that Regional Pool had to deteriorate before new provision was agreed

The head of a Peterborough swimming club has spoken of his “frustration” that the Regional Pool had to deteriorate to the point of closure before the council agreed to build a new one.

Morgan Stevenson, co-chair of the City of Peterborough Swimming Club (COPS), said the club “welcomes” the decision to build a new pool, but added that it’s still faced with a “long wait” before its planned completion.

“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,” he said.

“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 Regional Pool on Bishop’s Road has been closed since September after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, or RAAC, was identified in the building.

Various issues with the building, including structural damage, would cost Peterborough City Council (PCC) £26m to repair, it says, meaning it has chosen to demolish the pool and replace it with a new one, which it estimates will cost £30m.

Mr Stevenson said he hopes the replacement will include a 50 metre pool which would “bring new revenue to the city through the ability to run the national grade of swim meets”.

The National Arena League final hosted in Cardiff earlier this month was a “stark reminder of the level of facilities many private schools and university-backed swim clubs enjoy each day,” he said. “The city of Peterborough deserves and needs facilities to be a destination and attract more people to enjoy what the city offers.”

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

COPS has existed, in some form, since the 1930s and trained some of the city’s most accomplished athletes.

Its team finished in the top 10 in its programme at the National Area League final on 3rd March.

Youngsters who swim for the club train at Jack Hunt swimming pool, Stanground sports centre, Oundle School swimming pool and others, but the Regional Pool has long been an important part of their operation.

Mr Stevenson said he welcomes the “continued support” of both PCC and Vivacity, the council’s subsidiary company which manages leisure services in the city, “in working together to make the next four years as constructive as possible”.

Council leader Cllr Mohammed Farooq (Peterborough First, Hargate and Hempsted) has previously said 2028 is the latest the new pool will open.

PCC’s decision-making cabinet signed off on plans to demolish the Regional Pool and begin investigating a new one at a meeting on Monday, 11th March.