A new swimming pool at Withdean Sports Complex will need a larger budget, with Brighton & Hove City Council returning to Cabinet in December after the project missed its planned construction start.
The five-lane, 25-metre community pool received unanimous backing from the planning committee last December. However, the council’s latest update gives neither the revised cost nor a new opening date.
The project was previously budgeted at £6.88 million, with construction expected to begin in early 2026 and completion targeted for spring 2027. Those were the dates in the council’s original programme, rather than a newly confirmed timetable.
What has changed at Withdean?
In its 27 October update, the council says construction costs have increased and Cabinet members will be asked to consider a higher budget. It attributes the increase to global economic pressures and the impact of conflict in the Middle East on the construction industry.
The announcement does not put a figure on the increase or identify a new expected start date. It says procurement for the main building contract has taken place, alongside work to satisfy planning conditions that must be addressed before construction begins.
The changing facilities have also been redesigned following residents’ feedback. The latest arrangement includes family and communal cubicle changing, designated cubicles for men and women, and accessible facilities.
Planning approval establishes that the development can proceed subject to its conditions. The forthcoming Cabinet decision concerns the additional money needed to deliver it.
What happened to the spring 2027 opening target?
The July 2025 Cabinet report anticipated an early-2026 construction start and spring-2027 completion, with a build lasting about 12 months.
A later government tender notice, published on 27 October 2025, listed estimated contract dates of 1 May 2026 to 31 March 2027. It gave 16 March 2026 as the anticipated award decision date. These were procurement estimates, not evidence that a contract was awarded or work began on those dates.
The delay was raised at full council on 1 October 2026. Councillor Lyons asked why construction had not started and when it would begin. In the published response, Councillor Alan Robins said the council was still reviewing construction bids, tenders and accompanying documents. He did not give a start date.
How much will the new pool cost?
The July 2025 financial plan put the total at £6.88 million, including £346,000 from developer contributions and £6.534 million in borrowing. That estimate was already £1.08 million higher than the figure in the January 2024 report.
That earlier budget increase is separate from the further rise in construction costs now announced.
The original business case estimated annual loan repayments of £330,000, supported by a £229,000 surplus from the pool and £101,000 from wider leisure income. Those were forecasts based on the earlier budget; the December decision will need to be understood against the revised costs.
What will swimmers get?
The pool is planned for Withdean Sports Complex on Tongdean Lane, in the north of Brighton. Freedom Leisure currently manages the complex on the council’s behalf.
The council’s December 2025 description of the approved scheme included a pool pod lift, walk-in steps, ramped access, accessible toilets and showers with a hoist, and wheelchair spaces in the spectator area.
Energy-saving features included roof-mounted solar panels, air source heat pumps, insulation, LED lighting and water-saving filtration. These are elements of the published design, rather than claims about the performance of a completed building.
The council describes it as the first new publicly funded swimming pool built in the city for around 40 years. Its design consultation drew 942 online survey responses, alongside drop-in sessions at Withdean and Westdene Library.
Councillor Alan Robins, Cabinet Member for Sports, Recreation and Libraries, called the scheme “a once in a generation opportunity to provide a new swimming pool at Withdean”. He said residents’ feedback had led to further design changes and highlighted the opportunity for children and young people to learn to swim.
Withdean would add a community swimming pool in the north of the city, while the separate King Alfred redevelopment on Hove seafront would replace an existing leisure centre. Our King Alfred guide explains its funding, proposed pool changes and opening target, alongside arrangements for people using the current centre.
What happens next?
The council says a final decision is due at December’s Cabinet meeting. Its published calendar lists Cabinet on Thursday 10 December 2026 at 10.30am, at Hove Town Hall.
The key information still missing from the latest announcement is the amount of extra funding required, the revised construction programme and the expected opening date. It also does not name a building contractor or set out swimming prices and a session timetable.
For residents waiting to use the facility, the immediate change is therefore a further budget decision. Spring 2027 remains the original completion target, not a date reconfirmed in the latest update.
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