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List of long course swimming pools in the United Kingdom

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This is an annotated list of swimming pools in the United Kingdom which conform to the Olympic standard. Additionally, it lists other long-course facilities that do not quite come up to the full standard of 50 × 25 metres, 10 (middle 8 used) lanes.

At the start of the 21st century, the provision of 50-metre swimming pools in the United Kingdom was very poor for a developed country. Few universities possessed 50-metre pools, and there was a marked reluctance on the part of municipal authorities to build new public long-course facilities. As of 2011, however, a substantial number of pools have either recently opened, or are under development. The successful bid to hold the 2012 Summer Olympics in London has undoubtedly added impetus to the latter, with a number of new venues due for completion before the Games, although some existing pools are under threat and may not be replaced by 50-metre facilities.

As of 2012, no University in the UK possesses an Olympic standard pool, though several have an 8-lane 50-metre pool. The Aberdeen Aquatics Centre, under construction and due to open in 2014, being part funded by the University of Aberdeen, will be the main pool facility for the University.

Olympic size pools

Location Pool/centre name Pool dimensions Further information
Length Width (lanes)
Bristol Hengrove Park Leisure Centre 50 m 25 m (10)[1] Opened 29 February 2012.[2]
Cardiff Cardiff International Pool[3] 50 m 25 m (10) Part of the Cardiff International Sports Village. Opened 12 January 2008.[4]
Glasgow Tollcross International Swimming Centre[3] 50 m 25 m (10) Currently under refurbishment. Second 50 m pool to be added for 2014 Commonwealth Games. Scheduled for completion in spring 2013.
Leeds John Charles Centre for Sport 50 m 25 m (10) Formerly South Leeds Stadium.
London London Aquatics Centre 50 m 25 m (10) Venue for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Includes 25 x 25 m diving pool adjacent to main competition pool.
50 m 20 m (8)
Plymouth Life Centre[5] 50 m 25 m (10) Part of the new £46.5m Life Centre. Opened in March 2012.[6]
Sheffield Ponds Forge International Sports Centre[7] 50 m 25 m (10) Used for a large number of English and British National events
Sunderland Sunderland Aquatic Centre[8] 50 m 25 m (10) Opened 18 April 2008.[9]

Planned or under construction

Location Pool/centre name Pool dimensions Further information
Length Width (lanes)
Aberdeen Aberdeen Aquatics Centre 50 m 25 m (10) £22m Centre due to open Early 2014, as part of Aberdeen Sports Village, funded by the University of Aberdeen, sportScotland and Aberdeen City Council. Construction work commenced July 2011.[10][11][12][13]
Bangor, County Down Valentine Playing Fields 50 m 25 m (10) Being built for North Down Borough Council - due for completion Summer 2012.[14][15]
Birmingham Birmingham Aquatics and Leisure Centre (BALC) 50 m 25 m (10) Initial budget of £58 million cut. Pool expected to be finished by 2014 as part of a Commonwealth Games bid.[16]
Cambridge Cambridge Sports Centre 50 m 25 m (10) Planned as part of the construction of a new £50 million sports centre for the University of Cambridge on the West Cambridge Site.[17]

Other 50 metre pools

Location Pool/centre name Pool dimensions Further information
Length Width (lanes)
Aldershot Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre 50 m 18 m (8) This is a British Army swimming pool, but it is open to the public at certain times.[18]
Banbury Woodgreen Leisure Centre Woodgreen Leisure Centre[19] 50 m (8) Heated open air pool.
Basildon Basildon Sporting Village 50 m (8)[20] Constructed by Basildon District Council in time to support the 2012 London Olympics.[21]
Bath University of Bath Sports Training Village[22] 50 m (8) The University of Bath had promoted free student access to prospective students but has recently[when?] reneged on that promise without consultation.[citation needed]
Cheltenham Sandford Parks Lido 50 m 27 m(10) Open between May and September.[23]
Corby Corby East Midlands International Swimming Pool[24] 50 m (8) Opened July 2009.
Coventry Coventry Sports And Leisure Centre[25] 50 m (8)
Crawley K2 Crawley[26] 50 m (8)
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace National Sports Centre[27] 50 m (8)
Dundee Olympia[28] 50 m (6)
Ealing Gurnell Leisure Centre[29] 50 m Under threat of closure and replacement with new 50 m pool in Acton (see below).[30]
East Kilbride The Dollan Aqua Centre 50 m (6) Recently refurbished, reopened May 28 2011.[31]
Edinburgh Royal Commonwealth Pool 50 m 21 m (8) Built for the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. Site to be refurbished, with 50 m pool retained.[32]
Guildford Guildford Lido 50 m An outdoor pool that is open during the summer months only.[33]
Guildford Surrey Sports Park 50 m 20 m (8) Part of the University of Surrey.[34]
Hackney London Fields Lido[35] 50 m 17 m (8) Lido, opened in 1932, closed in 1988, and re-opened in 2006.
High Wycombe Wycombe Sports Centre[36] 50 m (6)
Hillingdon Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Centre[37] 50 m 20 m (8) The new indoor pool adjacent to a refurbished Uxbridge Lido, opened on 23 March 2010.[38]
Hitchin Hitchin Swimming Centre[39] 50 m Hitchin Swimming Centre sports indoor and outdoor pools. Outdoor pool opens between May–September
Letchworth Letchworth Outdoor Pool[40] 50 m Open between May–September
Liverpool Liverpool Aquatics Centre[41] 50 m (8)
Loughborough English Institute of Sport 50 m 20 m (8) Based at Loughborough University.[42]
Manchester Manchester Aquatics Centre 50 m 20 m (8) Built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
50 m 8 m (4)
Norwich Sportspark[43] 50 m 17 m (8) Part of the University of East Anglia.
Portsmouth Mountbatten Centre[44] 50 m 17 m (8) Run by Parkwood Leisure.
Stirling National Swimming Academy 50 m (6) Part of the University of Stirling.[45]
Stockport Grand Central Pools 50 m (8)
Street, Somerset Millfield School 50 m (8) School's private pool, only open to staff and students.
Stonehaven Open Air Pool Aberdeenshire Council 50 m (8) Council run public pool, only open June to September.
Swansea Wales National Pool[46] 50 m 21 m (8) Part of the Swansea University.

Planned or under construction/refurbishment

Location Pool/centre name Pool dimensions Further information
Length Width (lanes)
Acton 50 m Ealing Council is considering a 50 m pool at this location.[47]
This may result in the demolition of the Ealing 50 m pool, to be replaced with a 25 m pool.[30]
Birmingham University of Birmingham Sports Centre 50 m 17 m As part of new University Sports Centre.[48]
Luton Inspire: Luton Sports Village 50 m (8) Luton is currently building a 50m, eight lane pool, a diving training centre and a 20m x 10m community pool; due for completion July 2012.[49][50]
Nottingham Harvey Hadden Leisure Centre 50 m 21 m Nottingham City Council is building a new 50m pool, expected to open in Spring 2015. This will be 4 metres narrower than Olympic size.[51][52]
Redbridge, London 50 m Architects appointed for new 50 m pool.[53]

Other notable long-course pools

Open

Closed

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hengrove Park Leisure Centre". Bristol City Council. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  2. ^ "New Olympic-standard pool at Hengrove Park Leisure Centre looks to make a big splash". Bristol Evening Post. 29 February 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Tollcross Park Leisure Centre". Glasgow City Council.
  4. ^ "£32m world-class pool is opened". BBC News. 2008-01-12. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  5. ^ "Plymouth Life Centre". Everyone Active.
  6. ^ "Plymouth City Council Life Centre". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  7. ^ "Ponds Forge ISC".
  8. ^ "Sunderland City Council".
  9. ^ "Celebrations mark 'Olympic' pool". BBC News. 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  10. ^ "City hopes to splash £5m on pool". BBC News. 2006-10-25.
  11. ^ "Backing sought for 50m pool plan". BBC News. 2007-08-21.
  12. ^ "City's hopes for 50m pool raised". BBC News. 2007-11-13.
  13. ^ "Work adds new 'depth' to Aberdeen Aquatics Centre". Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  14. ^ New Leisure Centre and Olympic Pool
  15. ^ "Poots confirms 50m pool for Bangor".
  16. ^ "Birmingham's Olympic Swimming pool budget to be slashed". Birmingham Mail. 2010-09-02.
  17. ^ "University of Cambridge announces plans for new sports centre" (PDF).
  18. ^ "Aspire Defence - Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre".
  19. ^ "Woodgreem / Swimming".
  20. ^ [1]
  21. ^ "£35m sports complex given backing". BBC News. 2006=07-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ "Team Bath / Swimming".
  23. ^ "Sandford Parks Lido".
  24. ^ "Corby International Pool".
  25. ^ "Coventry Sports Trust - Swimming - Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre".
  26. ^ "Crawley Borough Council:: K2 Crawley".
  27. ^ "Crystal Palace National Sports Centre".
  28. ^ "The New Olympia".
  29. ^ "Gurnell Leisure Centre".
  30. ^ a b "The Development of Swimming Pools in Ealing".[dead link]
  31. ^ "South Lanarkshire Leisure - Dollan Aqua Centre".
  32. ^ "Edinburgh Leisure - Royal Commonwealth Pool".
  33. ^ "Guildford Spectrum - Guildford Lido Introduction".
  34. ^ "Swimming Pool Surrey Sports Park".
  35. ^ "London Fields Lido".
  36. ^ "Wycombe Sports Centre".
  37. ^ "Hillingdon Sport & Leisure Centre".
  38. ^ "Olympic-size pool costing £31m opens in Hillingdon". BBC News. 2010-03-23.
  39. ^ "North Hertfordshire District Council - Hitchin Swimming Centre".
  40. ^ "North Hertfordshire District Council - Letchworth Outdoor Pool".
  41. ^ "Liverpool City Council - Liverpool Aquatics Cente".
  42. ^ "Loughborough Sport - Loughborough Pool".
  43. ^ "Sportspark - Swimming".
  44. ^ "Portsmouth Council".
  45. ^ "University of Stirling - Sports Facilities".
  46. ^ "Wales National Pool Swansea".
  47. ^ "Ealing Council – Facility improvement projects".[dead link]
  48. ^ . University of Birmingham. 2012-07-30 http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/alumni/giving/sportscentre.aspx. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  49. ^ . Luton Today. 2011-05-11 http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/local/water_view_aerial_shot_shows_progress_on_aquatic_centre_1_2668811. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  50. ^ . Luton Council. 2012-02-25 http://www.luton.gov.uk/internet/leisure_and_culture/inspire%20luton%20sports%20village. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  51. ^ "Nottinghamshire to get first 50m swimming pool". BBC. 2013-04-09.
  52. ^ "A New Harvey Hadden Leisure Centre". Nottingham City Council. 2013-05-02.
  53. ^ Connor, Christina (ed.). "Olympic Legacy: 50 m pool stock-take". Pool & Spa Scene. Retrieved 2012-08-28.
  54. ^ Yearsley Swimming Pool
  55. ^ History of Yearsley Pool
  56. ^ Broomhill Pool Trust
  57. ^ [2]
  58. ^ [3]
  59. ^ "Fears for Cardiff swimming pool". BBC News. 2001-12-13. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
  60. ^ Wigan International Pool (archived wepage)
  61. ^ Wigan Life Centre
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