Mayor Paul Bristow said he wants to see proof the plans will come off
The former regional pool in Peterborough is set to be replaced as part of the city’s sports quarterAuthor: Dan MasonPublished 7 minutes ago
Former Peterborough MP Paul Bristow has said people can’t be mislead when it comes to plans for a new pool in the city.
The project has taken a step forward after technical designs were passed by the city council, with building expected to start next year.
More than half of the £36 million that is estimated to build the pool has now been secured, thanks to £20m being allocated towards the project by the Government.
“My challenge now to the city council is where are we going to find the rest of the money,” Mr Bristow said.
“We can’t lead everyone up a garden path and say we’re going to build a regional pool, but we don’t have the finished goods.”
Funding to be settled this year
Last April, demolition of the former regional pool on Bishop’s Road began after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete – known as RAAC – was found.
The building was completely demolished last summer.
The new facility will feature an eight-lane, 25-metre pool, a learner pool with a moveable floor, a large fitness suite, soft play and studios.
Councillor Shabina Qayyum, leader at Peterborough City Council, said she expects Government funding for the pool to be confirmed in May this year, with more details on the design to be released in the summer.
Mayor working with MP on city centre plans
Mr Bristow – now the Conservative mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – said he’s working with the city’s current MP Andrew Pakes of Labour on plans to regenerate the city centre.
“I’m working on that with the local MP and hopefully that will be a step forward in realising some of the ambitions,” he added.
Speaking to us earlier this month, Mr Bristow – who wants to triple the size of the county’s economy by 2050 – said there is a “cross-party vision” on growing the region, but now he wants to see action.
“We’ve moved beyond that (party politics in the past) now, so the county can start punching above its weight and start realising our ambitions,” he said.
This week, Mr Bristow, Cllr Qayyum and Mr Pakes have backed the idea of a development corporation to help with growth plans for Peterborough.
These corporations are established to help regenerate urban areas and have different powers, including land acquisition and infrastructure provision.
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