Reading Borough Council considers two new swimming pools Two ageing Reading swimming pools could be replaced in £25 million plans announced by the Council. A review carried out by The Sports Consultancy for the Council has proposed building two “modern new centres” in place of the city’s Central and Arthur Hill pools. The Council said it would need to spend £10 million on maintaining and repairing the two “outdated” facilities. A temporary pool could be set up at Rivermead Leisure Centre while the Central Pool replacement is built. The new Central facility would include an eight-lane, 25-metre competition swimming pool and could be ready within about four to five years. It would also include diving facilities and a new five-court sports hall to host a range of indoor sports. A feasibility study would also be carried out to create a six-lane 25-metre pool at Palmer Park, linked to existing leisure facilities. Paul Gittings, the council’s lead member for sport, said the plan was “the most cost-effective way” to deliver high-quality swimming facilities. He added: “It makes no sense to continue to pour money in outdated facilities in order to keep them going for a limited period of time.” The plans were considered at the Council’s Policy Committee on 30th November 2015.
