New 50-metre pool vital for young athletes - coach

The head of a swimming club said a city council's plan to build a 50-metre swimming pool was "vital" to support the athletes of the future.

Peterborough's Regional Pool has begun to be bulldozed after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was discovered in the building, which left City of Peterborough Swimming Club (Cops) without a home.

Ben Negus, from Cops, said plans to build a replacement facility "would mean Peterborough can do what it deserves [for] its swimming community".

Peterborough City Council said "plans for a new leisure centre continue to be explored" and it was "working to bring a business case forward to cabinet soon".

"We continue to seek investors interested in supporting a new pool development," the authority added.

Raac was discovered in September 2023 at the Bishop's Road site, which also had issues with asbestos and out-of-date mechanical installations.

The building's demolition will take until July, the authority said.

It was hoped that a replacement pool, which would be built at an estimated cost of £30m, would be open by 2028.

Previously, Mr Negus said the pool's closure had forced the club's athletes to find alternative locations to train.

Lily, 17, who has been part of the club since she was six, said training without a dedicated pool is "hard".

Bell Cameron, 18, who is part of Cops, said the sport has given her "life skills".

"It has even allowed me to go to university in the US. Marshall University in West Virginia reached out to me, I will be going this summer."

Mr Negus said a plan for an Olympic-sized 50-metre swimming pool was first floated about 18 years ago and he was "still waiting".

Andrew Pakes, the Labour MP for Peterborough, said he believed a new 50 metre pool could be built in the city within five years.

"The council has a plot of land in the city centre at the regional pool site. And it is important to keep it in the city centre," Pakes said.

"The council will be available to put some money into it, we can get some money from the regeneration funds from the mayor, some money from additional partners and we have a good chance to get this going."

He said the council now "needs to focus" on things that matter to the public.

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