Sport and leisure – future plans

To encourage more people to be healthy and active, we are looking at how best to invest in sport and leisure facilities. The pandemic has badly affected leisure facilities across the country and it has accelerated our need to make decisions.

We want to know your views on our ideas which could involve a brand new swimming pool, sports facilities and community centre in the south east of the city.

Money had been set aside for essential maintenance at Eastney Swimming Pool and Wimbledon Park Sports Centre. But this would not cover improvements to encourage new customers, or deal with accessibility issues at Eastney. Therefore officers were asked to explore options.

One option being considered is to put the money for Eastney pool and Wimbledon Park centre towards a new centre with a swimming pool, sports facilities and community space in the south east of the city.  The preferred location would be Bransbury Park, on the site of the present sports and community facilities. A new centre would replace Wimbledon Park Sports Centre and Eastney Swimming Pool, as it would offer what they currently do and more.

Portsmouth is facing a budget shortfall of around £7-8m this year, so we must spend as sensibly as we can to make sure all residents have the best possible facilities.

Click here to complete the survey – you have until Sunday 13 December to give your views on these ideas.

Anyone unable to complete the survey online can do it over the phone by calling 023 9261 6708

We have agreed plans for a £2.5m redevelopment of the Pyramids Centre. It will include an impressive new adventure play and trampoline facility and a major expansion of the already-successful gym.

The plans have been met with some disappointment, but keeping the Pyramids leisure pool is not an option. To fully refurbish it and re-open as a leisure pool would cost around £13m over the next 10 years. We do not have the money to do this. In addition, the Pyramids building was originally designed to last 30 years and is now 30 years old and cannot go on indefinitely. The only options left were to close the centre or find a way to keep it open before the building inevitably reaches the end of its life.

The new plans will encourage more residents and visitors of all ages to use the Pyramids to get active and have fun, and help to secure its future for a few more years before we consult on what will eventually replace it, as explained in the Seafront Masterplan.

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