Exciting plans to provide a new community swimming pool at Withdean Sports Complex, along with a proposed plan to provide a further facility in the east of the city, are moving forward.
Members of the council’s Strategy, Finance and City Regeneration Committee have unanimously agreed to provide £451,000 via capital borrowing, to complete the detailed design and survey work needed to achieve planning permission for the new Withdean pool.
Capital borrowing can only be spent on physical assets and cannot be used to fund council services.
Health and wellbeing prioritised
The proposals could see the first new publicly funded swimming pool built in the city for around 40 years.
This demonstrates that, despite the current budget challenges the council faces, investing in key leisure infrastructure that will have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of people living in the city, is a priority.
Earlier this month members of the Culture, Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Economic Development Committee agreed, in principle, to the development of a new swimming pool at Withdean Sports Complex.
They also gave the go ahead for officers to continue exploring options to provide a further new swimming pool in the east of the city.
Exciting!
Councillor Alan Robins, chair of the Culture, Heritage, Sports, Tourism and Economic Development said: "it's really exciting to see our proposals for a new swimming pool at Withdean and a potential scheme in East Brighton are progressing, in addition to our plans for a new flagship King Alfred Leisure Centre.
“We know our residents love to swim and we are determined to support them by providing more and improved swimming facilities which are built sustainably.
"The popularity of swimming in the city means we are confident that the money we need to borrow can be paid back, meaning the pool will pay for itself.
“As a coastal city it’s vital that all our children and young people have the chance to learn to swim at an affordable price, and that we listen to the views of our residents and do everything we can to provide modern, sustainable and affordable sporting facilities for all.”
Huge demand
The proposals have been developed in response to the council’s Sports Facilities Investment Plan (SFIP) in a bid to meet the huge demand for more swimming facilities in the city.
Responses from the ‘Your Sport, Your Vision, Your City’ consultation undertaken in 2020 to inform the SFIP, showed that:
- 85% said a new main swimming pool should be the top priority for any new facility
- The swimming offer in the city needs to provide a better balance of water provision activities
Reports have also shown that Brighton & Hove currently has the lowest provision of water space per 1,000 population (than the surrounding authority areas and significantly less than the South-East region and England.)
Meeting future need
Since the SFIP plan was launched in 2021, council officers have been developing options to increase the amount of pool/water space in the city to meet the current and future needs for swimming.
Sport and leisure facilities are important in achieving and supporting the delivery of the Brighton & Hove Health & Wellbeing Strategy that focuses on prevention, reducing health inequalities and increasing healthy life expectancy.
The health benefits of swimming as an activity are significant, particularly as it is a life-long activity that residents can participate in at any stage in their lives, irrelevant of age and ability.
Swimming is also well known to have a positive impact on mental health as well as physical health.
Free swimming
The council currently has three swimming pools which, despite their age and condition, are extremely popular and well used.
In 2022-23, there were 465,708 swimming visits across the city’s three leisure centre sites and more than 2,600 children are currently attending Freedom Leisure’s Learn to Swim School. A further 250 are on the waiting list for lessons.
The council is also one of the few local authorities to provide free swimming to all children aged 4-18 after school, on the weekends and in school holidays.
King Alfred plans
Plans are already progressing to replace the ageing King Alfred Leisure Centre, with a new modern, energy efficient flagship facility in the west of the city.
The centre will include a 25 metre 8 lane swimming pool, separate teaching pool and splash pad. However, work isn't is unlikely to start until 2025 at the earliest.
5 lane community pool
The scheme for Withdean Sports Complex will see a 5-lane 25m community pool with changing rooms, toilets and other ancillary facilities.
The new, modular ‘above-ground’ pool would be cost effective, energy efficient and quicker to install, providing a much-needed additional facility to mitigate any temporary or permanent pool closures of the other existing pool sites.
Modular pools have a reduced environmental impact and lower carbon footprint compared to the in-ground equivalent.
Building above-ground can see a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions saving at least 285 tonnes of material. This will help to contribute towards the council’s Carbon Neutral 2030 target and ambitions.
A financial analysis has shown the facility would generate sufficient income to meet operating costs and service loan repayments.
Sport England funding
In addition, the council’s recent application to Phase 1 of Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund, helped secure £400,000 towards the ongoing utility costs and operations of the public pools across the city.
A second application has been made for Phase 2 for capital funding to support with the introduction of new technologies to help improve the energy efficiency of our pools and to help keep utility costs as low as possible.
Serving communities
Council officers have been working with local swimming clubs and specialist leisure consultants to develop the plans.
The new facility will also help to serve some of the communities in the North-West and East of the city that are less physically active and where health inequalities are more prevalent.
It would offer a diverse and varied pool programme with opportunities for all, including those with disabilities, health conditions or mobility issues, older people, or those from BAME backgrounds, to improve or maintain their physical and mental health.