Plans to deliver Peterborough’s new Sports Quarter leisure development are set to take another major step forward, with Cabinet being asked to formally accept an anticipated £20m Government grant.
At a meeting to be held on Tuesday 25 August, Cabinet members will be asked to accept and use the £20m Growth Mission Fund grant from the Department for Business and Trade towards the cost of a new eight-lane, 25-metre swimming pool.
The Government announced last year that the funding had been offered in principle, subject to the approval of a full business case. The council is awaiting final confirmation from the DBT.
Cabinet will also be asked to approve entering into Development Management Agreements with Alliance Leisure Services (ALS) Limited to progress early works and main construction for the new facility, so that it can remain on track to open in the autumn of 2028. ALS has a strong history of delivering new leisure centres for local authorities.
This latest update follows the submission of a planning application in July for the new leisure development which will form part of a sports quarter for the city. Plans also include a 20m activity pool, cafe, family play, health and wellbeing rooms, a 150-station fitness suite and two studios, plus a spin studio.
Councillor Zameer Ali, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Safety, said: “We have committed to delivering a much-needed new swimming pool for the city as quickly as possible and the past few weeks have demonstrated the urgency we are applying to this project. Hot on the heels of the planning application being submitted Cabinet is now being asked to formally accept £20m Government funding and to take the necessary legal steps to allow detailed plans to be developed.
“Our residents deserve to have access to high-quality swimming facilities, and this new leisure centre will give them a modern, accessible place to swim, exercise and enjoy activities with family and friends, while supporting better health and wellbeing across the city.
“It cannot come soon enough and that is why Cabinet will be asked to agree the proposals so that we can begin site clearance in November, ready for main construction to start early in the new year.”
Cabinet members will also be asked to approve additional budget for the development, with expected costs exceeding the £37.1m initial budget envelope agreed by Full Council in February 2026. This budget was based on initial early designs and planning. As is usual for developments of this scale, more detailed planning has led to a clearer analysis of likely costs and associated risks. Cabinet members will be asked to agree a new development budget in the region of £43m. This cost is inclusive of a 7% contingency built in for unforeseen costs and issues.
The increase is largely because of highways related works outside the development area which are required, plus higher costs for steel, timber, mechanical and electrical equipment and insulation because of the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Iran.
Cabinet members will be advised that every effort will be made to manage risks and keep final build costs as low as possible.
The council has committed to funding the remainder of the project, outside of the £20m Government grant, and continues to seek private sector funding or grants to assist with the costs.
For more information about the leisure development visit www.peterborough-leisure.co.uk