Bill of almost £1m to upgrade swimming pool

Almost £1m is being spent on Spalding’s Castle Sports complex – but there’s no sign of a new pool.

According to budget figures presented to members of the district council’s cabinet this week, a total of £914,000 will be spent over five years.

The pool had a new boiler costing £136,000 budgeted for in the current financial year and a further £144,000 is due to be spent next year on a new pool pump.

But there is nothing in the budget forecast to indicate replacing the pool, which is operated by Parkwood.

The issue of a replacement pool was raised in November when Coun Andrew Tennant said members had been ‘half promised’ a new pool in Spalding to serve the district.

But figures that went before the cabinet on Tuesday give no indication of anything other than repairs and maintenance.

“When the full council approved the new partnership leisure contract in 2018 it was very much with the prospect of a new pool being delivered within that first five-year deal.

“However, since then obviously periods of enforced closure have made it impossible to assess the viability, delaying the whole process,” said Coun Tennant.

He added that the group of independent council members would ‘be very vocal’ in the scrutiny of current arrangements and would still push for new facilities.

A new dry side boiler is in the budget for the financial year starting in April, at a cost of £50,000.

A further £30,000 is allocated for ‘structural issues’, and £26,000 for a fire alarm in the centre’s dry side.

A replacement hot water pressurisation unit at £24,000 is also in the budget for the coming year.

The following financial year sees a further £30,000 for flat roof repairs and £80,000 for cladding – in total from 2021 to 2026 £914,000 of council money will be spent at the centre.

A South Holland District Council spokesman said: “Whilst no decisions have been made about any future changes to the pool facilities at Castle Sports Centre, we continue to work with our partners at Parkwood and listen to feedback from our users to find ways to improve and develop our leisure offer in South Holland.”