Stratford's new $15 million swimming pool location decided

Councillors have decided on the location for the town's new swimming pool.

Stratford's new swimming pool will be built next to the TET MultiSports Centre.

At Tuesday's council meeting, held via the a video conferencing app, councillors were given a choice of four options for where the proposed $15 million new swimming complex could be built.

The options were the current Page Street site, co-locating the pool with the TET MultiSports facility, building it on Council owned land elsewhere in the town, or building it on non council-owned land in town.

Option two, building it next to the TET MultiSports facility was the most expensive, estimated between $21.5 million and $22.3 million.

That cost could be reduced to a total of about $19 million if a range of optional extra components for fitness and family splash areas were left out, councillors were told.

In the report, written by Council's customer and leisure services manager Andrea Mathews, all four options came in at a cost above the original $15 million budget.

The overall misalignment with the budget would be addressed through further work by council staff to change the design approach or a reduction in the overall scope of the facility, she noted in the report. The cost relativity between the options was correct she said.

An additional cost will be the required relocation of the netball courts currently on the proposed site.

Councillor Jono Erwood said he had concerns about the level of carparking available in the area, as well as the potential cost. He would prefer the new pool to be located further along Portia Street where the cricket pitch is, noting the ground was flat there. The cost of locating the pool by the TET Stadium was likely to increase he said.

"I feel costs will skyrocket."

Councillor John Sandford was also in favour of the pool being located on the corner of Regan and Portia. Speaking after the meeting he said he doesn't believe the co-location of the pool with the TET Stadium would benefit the stadium.

"Parents aren't going to leave their children swimming and go upstairs for a coffee - parents will stay with their children. I don't think it will bring customers into the stadium at all."

Councillor Min McKay said locating the pool by the TET Stadium would be a good choice.

"It will create a vibrant hub there."

Councillors were asked to vote on the proposal for the pool to be built next to the TET Stadium. All councillors voted in favour except for Councillors Erwood and Sandford. The vote was carried.

Mayor Neil Volzke said the final decision had been "a long time coming".

"It is good to now have this project moving, and we are hoping to see more movement soon as we have identified it as being a shovel-ready project for the government to consider in their call for projects ready to go."

Disclosure: Editor Ilona Hanne is married to the Stratford District Council CEO.