Home of Peterborough’s planned £36 million indoor swimming pool to be revealed today
The exact location of Peterborough’s planned £36 million indoor swimming pool is to be revealed later today (March 25).
Peterborough City Council leader Cllr Shabina Qayyum will reveal the site of the indoor swimming pool to councillors at tonight’s full council meeting.
The 25 metre indoor pool and sports centre, which has been partly funded by the government and is expected to open in 2028, was originally earmarked for the site of the former Regional Pool off Bishop’s Road.
But a different location has now been chosen, although not too far from the former Regional Pool site, which in turn is expected to become a regeneration zone.
News of the revelation came after a drop-in consultation yesterday (March 23) at the council offices in Fletton Quays where staff we not allowed to share the location.
Speaking at the consultation, Jamie Fenton, the council’s partnership manager for culture, sport and leisure, said: "This gives people a chance to answer questions about what they would like to see in this new leisure centre and what is important to them.
“The size of the footprint of the building is already there – the size that we have to work in – but talking about the pool, yes, we are looking at 25 metre, eight lane pool, and looking at a teaching pool.
"We are looking at a moveable floor, which gives a lot of flexibility and adaptability, and you can create a shallower depth.
"But if people feel we are missing anything then the should fill in our survey forms.”
One of the guests at the consultation, Stella Bird with her daughter Emily, said: “We’ve have a good chat about the disabled option and the parking as our vehicle will not fit in most car parks.
"Hopefully we will be able to get our car in but he wasn’t sure because the car park will have a barrier on it.
"So there is a question mark over that.
"We were shown the style of the way we could get Emily into the pool. But some of the other details such as the hoisting they can’t give details because they have not got that far yet.
"So I’ll will come back to the next consultation on April 19 when they will have more details
She said: "My verdict on what I have seen and heard so far is ‘hopeful’.
"At the moment we go to Huntingdon for swimming, normally twice a week. It’s a long way but it is the nearest pool with a hoist and a suitable changing room.”
It is planned that Peterborough’s indoor swimming pool will be an eight-lane, 25 metre pool plus 20 metre learner and teaching pool that will also feature a cafe, a Tag Active soft play, health and wellbeing rooms, a 150-station fitness suite and two studios, plus a spin studio.
It will replace the former Regional Fitness and Swimming Centre and is expected to form part of a sports quarter at ARU Peterborough.
If the full £36.5 million cost of the project can be secured, construction work will start in early 2027, with completion in 2028.
The project has been kickstarted by a £20 million funding announcement by the Government in November from its Growth Mission Fund, subject to the submission of a full business case.