St Helens Council presses on with £450k plan to reopen Sutton swimming pool

Proposals to reopen the pool – which has been closed since 2013 – were due to be approved by St Helens Council’s cabinet this week, which was cancelled after the UK went into lockdown on Monday.

Councillors were also expected to approve plans to look at options for Parr Swimming and Fitness Centre to see whether to refurbish the current facilities or rebuild it completely on the current site or a new one close by.

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All non-decision-making meetings were cancelled last week, however, it was  intended that cabinet and other decision-making meetings would still go ahead.

The council said that, should it be necessary to cancel all public meetings, “procedures” are in place for delegated powers to be made remotely.

After cancelling Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, council leader David Baines will use his powers to approve the decisions due to be approved – including plans to bolster the borough’s swimming provision.

A council spokesman said: “Cabinet was cancelled due to the fact in these unprecedented times, it was not essential that it took place because the council leader has the power to make all of the decisions proposed to be considered at the cabinet meeting under delegated powers.”

St Helens Council leader David Baines is expected to move forward with the plans under delegated powers after the council cancelled this week's cabinet meeting due to the coronavirus pandemic

The current swimming provision in St Helens is outlined in a report that was due to go before cabinet this week.

According to a report that was due to go to cabinet St Helens’ swimming provision is considerably below Sport England’s Demand calculations, although it exceeds Sefton and Wigan.

The report says the remaining pools within the borough cannot meet the demand for public and school lessons and the needs of the swimming clubs.

“Those who are unable to access space are currently forced to travel outside the borough accessing pools in Warrington, Wigan or Knowsley, this comes at cost in terms of their time and finances,” the report says.

The main pool at Parr Swimming and Fitness Centre has been closed for ceiling works since October 2019, with the learner pool also closing the following month due to safety concerns.

The leisure centre will remain closed for an “indeterminate period” while an assessment is undertaken to determine future options for the provision.

Parr Swimming and Fitness Centre

Last December, the council ruled out reopening the pool Sutton Leisure Centre, which it mothballed in 2013 to save £180,000 a year.

The report says the current profile of the pool, which is shallow at each with deep area in the centre, makes it “less suitable” for non-swimmers and those learning to swim.

However, there is an option however to reduce the depth of the pool which would create an ideal teaching pool and allow all schools and public lessons to be accommodated.

This is estimated to cost £450,000 and will be be met from prudential borrowing. The council estimates the facility will £500,000 in annual income.

Any revenue surplus from the reopening of the pool at Sutton Leisure Centre will be used to offset the budget pressure elsewhere in the portfolio, the report says.

Once opened, the pool in Sutton would offer school lessons between 9.30am and 2.30pm.

It would then move to public swimming lessons early evening then allocate the remainder of the day to clubs, lane swimming and water-based exercise classes.

At weekends the pool would be used almost exclusively for public lane swimming and swimming lessons, for which there is “considerable demand and a lengthy waiting list”, the report says.

The report says the pool in Sutton Leisure Centre could be brought back into use in four months but warns this action alone will not be enough to meet the borough’s needs.

Subsequently, council officers intend to select external advisers to come up with options for Parr, which could lead to the current leisure centre being demolished.

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“Whilst opening Sutton’s pool does address some of the demand for water space it cannot meet it all,” the report says.

“There is a need to conduct an options appraisal determine the most effective course of action for the council, at its existing leisure sites or a new location.”

The costs to produce an options appraisal will be the subject of a subsequent decision.