facilities reintroduced in Merthyr Tydfil

THANKS to a £6million investment, secured by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, works are underway to reintroduce swimming facilities to the residents of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, after structural damaged closed the pool in 2019.

Works are being carried out by Alliance Leisure through the UK Leisure Framework and are expected to reopen to the public in the autumn.

Once complete, recommissioned facilities will provide residents with a 25m, six-lane main pool, a dedicated teaching pool offering a full swimming education programme plus a new splash pool designed to inspire water confidence and deliver engaging sensory experiences for toddlers.

The changing facilities will also be updated and redesigned to improve the overall visitor experience.

Jane Sellwood, CEO of Wellbeing Merthyr, the charitable trust appointed by the council to manage the leisure centre, said: “Commissioning and conducting works through Alliance Leisure and the UK Leisure Framework has been a good decision.

“Using the UK Leisure Framework ensures we have access to the best expertise and price at all levels of the supply chain and having Alliance Leisure act as a single point of contact has made communications and delivery super simple. So far, all works are on time and on budget.”

Works began in November 2022 and in addition to re-commissioning the pools, the council is investing in decarbonisation measures which include replacing gas fuelled boilers with more efficient air source heat pumps. This is predicted to cut cardon emissions by 61 per cent, creating a more sustainable future for the centre.

Gillian Dunster, business development manager at Alliance Leisure, added: “These works will not only give the people of Merthyr Tydfil access to a local pool for the first time in four years, but will also help the council to meet its carbon reduction ambitions to benefit the community both now and in the future.”

The leisure centre will remain open while works take place so people can continue to benefit from other facilities at the centre, including the sports hall, fitness suite and exercise studios.