Andrew Pakes, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Peterborough, has called on the city council to pull together key stakeholders to help draw up a plan for both a new pool and for interim provision whilst it is built.
“The regional pool was closed late last year by the Tories after years of neglect and previous closures,” he said.
Over 1,000 people have signed Labour’s ‘Save our Pool’ petition showing the level of support for a public pool in the city.
Mr Pakes said: “The city council estimate it would cost around £10-12 million to repair the regional pool and to make it fit for use again.
“Labour is calling for the council to build a new public pool and to work with others to provide wider opening hours at pools across the city with support from the council and regional pool staff.”
Peterborough Labour Party has already launched a SOS Swimming Pool campaign to show public support behind investing in a public pool in the city.
He said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has signed the ‘Save our Pool’ petition showing the strength of feeling for keeping a public pool in the city.
“We now need an urgent ‘swimming summit’ in the city to bring forward plans both for a new pool and to ensure provision is extended whilst it is built.
“The Tory administration ran the regional pool into the ground before finally closing it late last year. It would now cost more than £10 million to make the regional pool fit for purpose, money they failed to put aside in earlier years.
£15m could be needed to re-open Peterborough regional swimming pool
“We can’t make do and mend something that has been run down so badly by the Tories locally without spending an incredible amount of taxpayers’ money. That investment would be better spent building a new, world-class, 50 metre pool in the city along with all the facilities residents should expect.”
