SPLASHING THE CASH!
£475k boost for leisure centre to improve pool’s water quality
MORE than £475,000 will be spent on improving the quality of water at a city swimming pool.
The windfall will see a new ‘micro-filtration system’ set up at Fenton Manor Sports Complex.
Officials also hope the improvements at the site, which opened in 1976, will help with running costs. The £475,254 investment comes after Stokeon-trent City Council secured funding from the Government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund.
It comes on the back of improvements in 2022, which included LEDS being fitted alongside combined heat and power units. Those schemes pale compared to the huge overhaul unveiled in 1998 when £8 million of Lottery cash was ploughed into the complex to transform it into the leisure site enjoyed today.
City council leader Jane Ashworth hopes the latest improvements will help the city reduce its environmental footprint – along with improving the quality of water.
She said: “Fenton Manor first opened in 1976 and to this today still provides one the the widest range of sport and leisure activities available in North Staffordshire.
“Our swimming pool is vastly used by people of all ages so by receiving this funding we can now invest in a new system that will enable better water quality and reduce our environmental footprint.”
In total 264 local authorities have recieved a share of the funding – of which £20 million has come from Sport England via the National Lottery. Meanwhile £40 million has come from the Government as part of a community commitment to support the long-term sustainability of leisure sites.
Lisa Dodd-mayne, of Sport England said: “Swimming pools and leisure centres are vital community resources and are enormously important in helping people to be physically active.
“Many pools have faced a real and significant threat to their survival this year, as local authorities and operators have battled the challenge of increased energy and wider costs, weakened reserves and difficulties with retaining staff.
“Sport England is proud of the role we’ve played in supporting these facilities through this difficult period.
“We hope this funding announcement will enable more public pools to improve their energy efficiency to be more environmentally and financially sustainable, so they remain available for future generations to enjoy.”
Sports Minister Stuart Andrew, pictured, said: “Millions of people swim every year in England, but high energy costs mean some pools are struggling financially.
“This further £60 million of support from the Government and Sport England will make hundreds of swimming pools more energy efficient so they can keep offering their vital community and health benefits for generations to come.”