Outdoor swimming pool to get £1.1m upgrade

An ageing outdoor swimming pool is to get a £1.1m upgrade to keep it running.

Haltwhistle Swimming Pool, in Northumberland, attracts tens of thousands of visitors a year but parts of the facility date back to the 1970s, when it first opened.

Northumberland City Council approved the plans after a report said without intervention there was an increasing risk of equipment failure, resulting in higher maintenance costs, and work is to begin by the end of the year.

Council deputy leader Richard Wearmouth said it would give the pool the equipment "it needs to last for the next 30 to 40 years".

He said: "The pool is an absolutely fantastic resource for Haltwhistle.

"They have had tons of people visiting over the summer from all over the region."

The cabinet approved the decision on Tuesday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Cabinet member for finance Nick Oliver recalled spending many family days at the pool.

"My children are grown up now, but we often used it and had children's parties there – it's a fantastic venue and I heartily recommend it," he said.

"There's a huge interest in open air swimming and this is the only facility in Northumberland to offer it and it's really, really good."

The local authority hopes to complete the upgrade work by spring 2027.

Haltwhistle is one of seven town centre regeneration projects in the county progressing through the Northumberland Borderlands Place Programme, a 10-year £21m initiative providing each town with up to £3m of investment.

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