New swimming pool approved for Withdean Sports Complex

Plans for a new community swimming pool at Withdean Sports Complex have been given the green light, with building work due to start in spring next year.

Members of the council’s planning committee voted unanimously to approve plans for the 5-lane, 25m community pool – the first new publicly funded swimming pool built in the city for around 40 years. 

Consultation

Plans for the new facility were drawn up following a city-wide consultation and discussions with local swimming clubs, community organisations, a local primary school, the council’s Healthy Lifestyles Team, Freedom Leisure, which manages Withdean Sports Complex on behalf of the council, and the national governing body Swim England.

Hundreds of residents attended drop-in events at Withdean Sports Complex and Westdene Library; a 4-week online survey on the council’s Your Voice platform attracted 942 responses.

Fantastic!

Councillor Alan Robins, Cabinet Member for Sports, Recreation and Libraries, said: “This is fantastic news for the city. This much-needed new swimming pool at Withdean will provide more opportunities for residents to swim particularly in the north of the city. 

“Swimming remains the most popular activity for our residents and, as a coastal city, it’s vital that we do everything we can to ensure that our children and young people have the opportunity to learn to swim.”

Accessible and sustainable

The new swimming pool has been designed to reduce environmental impact, support local biodiversity and create a healthy, energy-efficient building for future generations.

Sustainability features include:

• new planting and wildlife-friendly landscaping
• roof-mounted solar panels
• using sustainable materials
• high levels of insulation
• low-energy (LED) lighting systems
• air source heat pumps
• water-saving technologies such as microfiltration

The pool will also be accessible and inclusive, enabling more people to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of swimming. The design includes:

• ramped and stair access
• a pool pod lift and walk-in steps
• accessible toilets and showers (including a hoist)
• changing rooms including a wheelchair accessible changing and family sized cubicles
• designated wheelchair spaces in the spectator area

The £6.8 million project will be funded from a combination of section106 developer contributions and capital borrowing.

Huge demand

Plans for the pool were developed in response to the council’s Sports Facilities Investment Plan (SFIP) in a bid to meet the huge demand for more swimming facilities in the city.

Responses from the ‘Your Sport, Your Vision, Your City’ consultation, undertaken in 2020 to inform the SFIP, showed that: 

• 85% said a new main swimming pool should be the top priority for any new facility
• The swimming offer in the city needs to provide a better balance of water provision activities 

Reports have also shown that Brighton & Hove currently has the lowest provision of water space per 1,000 population than the surrounding authority areas and significantly less than the south-east region and England.

Health and wellbeing

Sport and leisure facilities are also important in achieving and supporting the delivery of the Brighton & Hove Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy , which focuses on prevention, reducing health inequalities and increasing healthy life expectancy. 

The health benefits of swimming as an activity are significant, particularly as it is a life-long activity. Swimming is also well known to have a positive impact on both mental and physical health.