St Helens Council set to reopen swimming pool at Sutton Leisure Centre

St Helens Council’s cabinet will be asked to approve plans to reconfigure the pool at Sutton Leisure Centre, which has been closed since 2013, at its meeting next Wednesday.

Councillors are 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.

The main pool in Parr has been closed for ceiling works since October, with the learner pool also closing the following month due to safety concerns, and has cost the council hundreds of thousands of pounds in lost income.

In December, the council ruled out reopening the pool in Sutton, which it controversially closed in 2013 to save £180,000 a year.

But it appears the council has re-evaluated its stance after receiving the final surveyor’s report on the ageing Parr building, which detailed the scale of the repairs needed to make the venue safe for public use.

Labour councillors intend to use £450,000 through prudential borrowing to modify the pool at Sutton Leisure Centre, enabling it to be reopened.

Once opened the pool will provide space for swimming teaching and coaching, along with set times for adult lane swimming.

It is hoped the leisure centre – which will be renamed Sutton Swimming Centre – could be open to classes by July.

Cllr Anthony Burns, cabinet member for public health, leisure and libraries, said: “We know many schools, swimming clubs and families have felt the impact of not having Parr Swimming and Fitness Centre open.

Cllr Anthony Burns, cabinet member for public health, leisure and libraries

“Many generations of families have learnt to swim at the facility and we want to make sure that they can get back to having classes as soon as possible.

“Redeveloping Sutton’s swimming pool will give these groups the space to get back in the pool and stay active and gives us the opportunity to keep Sutton as a dedicated teaching pool in the future.

“We are dedicated to making sure that we have leisure facilities including a pool close to the community in Parr.

“We are taking the chance we now have to look at what will be best for our community in the future as we know the way people want to stay active has changed dramatically since Parr Swimming and Fitness Centre first opened its doors.

“We’ll work with the people who use the facilities there to help us shape the right proposals to support people to look after their health.”

Once cabinet approves the plans, council officers intend move at pace to select external advisers to come up with options for Parr.

It is understood the council’s leadership would prefer to demolish Parr Baths and start afresh, but at this stage the authority is keeping its options open.

The appraisal of options for Parr Baths is expected to come back to cabinet later this year.