Kingfisher Leisure Centre pool in Sudbury closes permanently

Babergh District Council has closed the Kingfisher Leisure Centre pool permanently to ensure swimmer safety. Surveys revealed a planned £875,000 programme of repairs and maintenance would not be sufficient, making a complete rebuild necessary. The council said it had no alternative but to close the pool, sauna, and hot tub suddenly.

Residents told reporters the closure caused upset in the town. The council said it was devastated and shared the community's sadness. The pool is 39 years old and due to turn 40 next year, having exceeded its expected lifespan.

Community impact and personal stories of loss

Long-time users described the pool as a vital source of joy, rehabilitation, and social connection. Dan Cotton, 53, recalled being excited when the pool first opened nearly four decades ago. He described it as breathtaking and like nothing the town had before, a perfect place to meet friends and have fun. Cotton said if the pool gave him joy, it must have given joy to thousands of others. He hoped it could be rebuilt to be as good or better.

Laura Allen, 35, started a petition against the closure. She used the pool for physical rehabilitation after breaking her femur in a motorcycle accident ten years ago. Allen said she ended up using the pool to get back on her feet and does not know how she would have coped if it had happened now. She could not drive, was in a wheelchair, and relied on friends and family to take her to the pool, which was conveniently only a mile or two down the road.

Allen has long used the pool as a carer and committee member for the Avocet Swimming and Social Group. That group supports people with disabilities and has up to 30 members with carers. She described the group as a lovely little safe haven where they do not worry about people's reactions. Allen said she was devastated and could not believe it when she heard about the closure. She said disabled swimming groups are dwindling and she now understands why, calling the closure very scary and a profound loss for Sudbury.

Wider context of ageing pools and systemic underfunding

The Kingfisher closure reflects a national trend of ageing aquatic infrastructure. According to Swim England, the average life of a pool is 38 years. Their Decade of Decline report from 2021 warned about 2,000 pools could be lost by 2030. Swim England suggested £1bn of government investment is needed to build new pools and refurbish existing ones.

Councillor Laura Smith, cabinet member for thriving communities, said the Kingfisher closure is not unique. She said other leisure pools built in the 1980s suffer from similar issues with ageing structures reaching end of useful life. The pool was previously closed in 2024 for repairs to a broken roof panel. That closure turned into a month, then six months, after further damage was found. The council said it spent about £400,000 since that 2024 closure to keep the pool operational.

Colin Plumb, 51, whose three children all learnt to swim at the pool, questioned why the council did not act sooner. He said if you know an asset is approaching end of life, you should plan and make financial provision for replacement. Plumb said the immediate closure may have been unavoidable but his concern is how they got to this point. He said the closure will have an extremely negative effect, especially on young people. With other swimming facilities disappearing, he said they cannot just accept losing this one.

Dan Cotton warned that without a pool, children will miss out and more people may swim in the river, which does not always end well. Rebuilding the pool would cost between £10m and £28m. The council said few councils can afford that rebuild cost. It said it is exploring longer-term options for swimming facilities in Sudbury. The council is actively exploring funding options and will continue to fight for funding the town deserves.