For membership and operational queries, please contact Places Leisure at enquiries@pfpleisure.org.
St Annes Swimming Pool & Gym
St Annes Swimming Pool & Gym initially closed in March 2026 after a compliance review identified outstanding building and safety matters requiring further investigation.
The subsequent work identified significant issues relating to fire safety, building condition, mechanical and electrical systems, ventilation and water hygiene.
After considering the safety, cost and programme implications, the Council decided to move directly into the comprehensive refurbishment rather than undertake temporary work that could lead to additional expenditure and further closures. St Annes Pool will therefore remain closed while the refurbishment programme is developed and delivered.
Temporary and partial reopening options were examined in detail during June and July 2026.
The assessments found that reopening would require substantial remedial work, including addressing and reinstating affected building services, resolving other fire-safety, compliance and building-condition issues.
There was therefore no reliable way to confirm either the full cost of a temporary reopening or how long it would take. There was also a risk that money would be spent on short-term work which would later need to be removed or repeated during the main refurbishment.
Bringing the safety, condition and refurbishment work together in one coordinated programme reduces duplication and concentrates the available investment on delivering a long-term facility.
Summer 2028 is the current working assumption, but a final reopening date has not yet been approved.
The programme will become clearer as the coordinated design, cost plan and procurement process progress. The appointed main contractor will help develop the detailed construction programme and price during the second stage of the procurement process.
An updated business case is expected to be considered during the November 2026 cycle of Council meetings, subject to the required design, cost and programme information being available. Further updates will be published as the project develops.
The refurbishment will create a modern, multi-use leisure facility for St Annes and the wider Fylde community. Current plans include:
- a fully modernised swimming pool environment
- a larger first floor gym
- a contemporary exercise studio
- health and spa facilities
- an indoor splash pad
- improved and accessible changing facilities
- a food and drink offer
- wider improvements to the building and its mechanical and electrical systems
The detailed layout and specification are still being developed. They will be influenced by the ongoing design work, technical surveys, planning requirements, affordability and the available funding. Visuals and further details will be shared once the design has progressed sufficiently.
The immediate priorities are to:
- procure and undertake enabling works, including the proposed removal of the spray-applied foam;
- protect and maintain the closed building;
- continue the architectural and engineering design;
- develop the detailed cost plan;
- appoint a principal contractor for the main construction work; and
- establish a deliverable construction programme and contract value.
The Council resumed direct responsibility for the closed building on 10 September 2026. Security, inspections, utilities, insurance, water hygiene, statutory compliance and essential maintenance will continue to be managed while the facility remains closed.
Not yet.
The Council is using the North West Construction Hub to procure a principal contractor for the main works at both St Annes and Kirkham. Six contractors from the framework have expressed an interest in bidding for the schemes.
A two-stage process is being used:
- Stage 1: The Council will select the preferred contractor following an assessment of quality and commercial submissions.
- Stage 2: The selected contractor will work with the Council and its professional advisers to develop the construction proposals, programme, risk management arrangements and detailed pricing.
This approach allows practical construction expertise to inform the design before the final contract value and construction programme are agreed. The Stage 1 selection does not determine the final construction price.
In January 2026, Fylde Council approved an indicative combined capital programme of £9.34 million for the two projects. This comprised:
- £6.34 million for the enhanced refurbishment of St Annes Swimming Pool & Gym; and
- £3 million for the restoration and reopening of Kirkham Baths.
These figures represent the approved programme allocations. They are not the amounts already spent and should not be treated as confirmed final construction costs.
The final costs will be developed through the design and two-stage procurement process and assessed against the available funding before the necessary approvals are sought.
Other swimming facilities in Fylde currently include:
- Dalmeny Hotel and Leisure;
- Ribby Hall Village;
- St Ives Hotel;
- The Grand Hotel; and
- Clifton Park Hotel, which operates membership and age restrictions.
These are privately operated facilities. Access, availability, charges and eligibility are determined by each provider, so customers should contact the venue directly before travelling. The Council will continue working with Places Leisure, schools, swimming clubs and other providers to identify gaps in access and opportunities for practical support during the closures.
St Annes Swimming Pool & Gym is owned by Fylde Council. The Council resumed direct responsibility for the closed building on 10 September 2026 and is managing its security, inspections, maintenance and preservation ahead of construction.
Places Leisure remains the Council’s intended leisure operator for the completed facility and is involved in developing the operational requirements for the refurbishment.
Memberships and Swimming Lessons
Places Leisure has advised that memberships relating to St Annes Swimming Pool & Gym will be frozen during the closure and customers will not be charged until the centre reopens. Customers with individual membership queries should contact Places Leisure directly at enquiries@pfpleisure.org so that their account can be checked.
YMCA Fylde Coast operated St Annes Swimming Pool until 31 March 2026. Places Leisure became the new operator from 1 April 2026. Customers were contacted as part of the transition regarding the arrangements for moving eligible memberships to the new operator.
The YMCA and Places Leisure are separate organisations, and a YMCA membership did not automatically become a Places Leisure membership unless the necessary transfer arrangements were completed.
Not necessarily. Whether you became a Places Leisure member depends upon the arrangements made during the transfer of the service and whether your membership was transferred. Some customers chose not to transfer, or did not complete the process, and therefore remained members of YMCA rather than becoming members of Places Leisure.
If you are unsure which organisation currently holds your membership, please contact the relevant operator so that your individual account can be checked.
Places Leisure and YMCA are separate organisations. If your membership remained with YMCA and was not transferred to Places Leisure, Places Leisure cannot administer or cancel that YMCA membership. Queries relating to an existing YMCA membership will need to be resolved directly with YMCA.
If there is uncertainty about whether your membership was transferred, Places Leisure can check whether an individual has a membership recorded with them.
This may happen where the membership concerned remained a YMCA membership rather than transferring to Places Leisure. Although St Annes Swimming Pool & Gym is now operated by Places Leisure, this does not transfer responsibility for memberships which continued to be held by YMCA.
If there is any uncertainty about what happened during the transition, customers should ask Places Leisure to confirm whether they hold a current membership record before contacting YMCA regarding any remaining YMCA account.
Memberships are operational matters managed by the relevant leisure operator rather than Fylde Council.
For a Places Leisure membership, or to check whether your membership transferred to Places Leisure, please contact Places Leisure at enquiries@pfpleisure.org.
If the query relates to a membership which remained with YMCA, including payments being taken by YMCA, this will need to be raised directly with YMCA.
No. Fylde Council owns St Annes Swimming Pool & Gym but does not administer individual customer memberships. Membership administration is the responsibility of the leisure operator.
The Council will continue to work with Places Leisure to ensure that recurring issues arising from the transfer are identified and that customers are given clear information about which organisation they need to contact.
Places Leisure delivers swimming lessons in accordance with the Swim England Learn to Swim framework. Children will be mapped across to the appropriate equivalent class so that their swimming progress can continue when the pool reopens. Places Leisure will communicate directly with swimming lesson customers regarding individual arrangements.
Kirkham Baths
Yes. Fylde Council approved the restoration and reopening of Kirkham Baths in January 2026 as part of its investment in swimming provision across Fylde.
The project is now progressing through design development, technical investigation, cost planning and preparation of the delivery programme.
Enabling works began in February 2026 and were completed during the first half of the year.
The work included:
- internal scaffolding;
- specialist asbestos removal;
- removal of damaged fixtures and fittings;
- improved access for surveys and investigations;
- enhanced security and access controls; and
- measures to protect and preserve the building.
The enabling works were delivered within the approved £150,000 budget provision and helped the project team gain a clearer understanding of the building’s structure, fabric and services.
The project is currently focused on:
- architectural, structural and engineering design;
- coordinating the results of building surveys;
- heritage and planning discussions;
- developing the operating model with Places Leisure;
- cost planning and affordability reviews;
- preparing the delivery programme; and
- continuing to inspect, secure and preserve the building.
The next major milestone is completion of the coordinated design stage. This will produce a more detailed design, refined cost estimate, procurement strategy and delivery programme.
The developing proposals include:
- restoration of the historic swimming pool and pool hall;
- a modern fitness suite;
- studio space;
- refurbished and accessible changing provision; and
- supporting community and customer facilities.
The design aims to combine modern leisure provision with the protection of Kirkham Baths’ historic character. The layout and detailed specification are still being refined and remain subject to survey findings, heritage and planning considerations, operational requirements and affordability.
Reopening remains planned for 2028, but a final date has not yet been approved.
Earlier operating assumptions referred to April 2028, while wider public communications have referred more generally to reopening during 2028. The final date will depend on completing the design process, confirming costs, addressing planning and heritage requirements, appointing the contractor and agreeing the construction programme.
The approved programme currently includes an allocation of £3 million for the restoration and reopening of Kirkham Baths.
This is a programme budget, not expenditure already incurred or a confirmed final construction price. The cost will be refined as the design, surveys and contractor procurement progress. Any proposed contract value will be assessed against the available funding and considered through the Council’s approval arrangements.
The Council is progressing a joint procurement exercise through the North West Construction Hub to appoint a principal contractor for the main construction work at both Kirkham Baths and St Annes Swimming Pool.
The principal contractor will be responsible for managing and coordinating the construction work, specialist subcontractors and construction health and safety. This role is separate from Places Leisure, which is the intended operator of the completed leisure facilities.
Places Leisure is the intended operator of Kirkham Baths as part of the Council’s long-term leisure arrangements. The detailed operating model is being developed alongside the building’s design, cost plan and delivery programme.
General
Fylde Council will continue to publish updates as the St Annes refurbishment and Kirkham restoration programmes develop. This will include construction progress, key milestones, updated timescales and further information about the facilities being delivered. Visit www.fylde.gov.uk/swimming for the latest news on both projects.
No organisation has a statutory duty to provide public swimming. However, several organisations play important roles:
Swim England
Swim England is responsible for developing the sport of swimming and encouraging participation in aquatic activities at all levels, including recreational swimming and health and wellbeing programmes. More information here
Fylde Council
Although the council has no statutory duty to provide public swimming, it actively supports swimming provision in Fylde. The council owns St Annes Pool and currently supports and subsidises public access under the current operating arrangement.
The council is also planning considerable investment to secure and enhance access to swimming provision in the long term.
Schools
All local authority-maintained schools must provide swimming instruction either in key stage 1 or key stage 2. Pupils should be taught to:
- Swim competently, confidently, and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
- Use a range of strokes effectively (e.g., front crawl, backstroke, and breaststroke)
- Perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations
The Fylde Corporate Plan 2024 – 2028 includes a commitment to provide high quality parks, open spaces and leisure facilities. The strategy is to facilitate and support public swimming but not to directly operate facilities, as the council does not have the necessary resource to do this.
A new Leisure Strategy is currently being finalised to set out the long-term future for sport, physical activity and active environments across Fylde.
The strategy is being shaped by extensive community consultation, ensuring it reflects local needs, behaviours and priorities, and is grounded in the latest national guidance issued by the UK’s Chief Medical Officers on physical activity and health.
This evidence base, alongside Sport England’s Strategic Outcomes Framework and wider regional policy direction, provides a clear rationale for promoting movement, improving wellbeing and reducing inequalities.
The Strategy will therefore act as a framework for coordinated action by the Council and its partners, guiding investment, programming and facility development to support a more active Fylde.
Both projects involve existing buildings, and the design teams need to understand their condition before final construction programmes and prices can be agreed.
Surveys, design development and early contractor involvement help identify risks before the main construction contracts are entered into. The selected contractor will work with the Council and its professional advisers to develop the delivery approach, programme and pricing.
Final costs and reopening dates will therefore only be confirmed once the designs, construction requirements, risks and funding position have been sufficiently developed and approved.
Fylde Council will publish further information as the projects progress, including:
- design developments;
- contractor appointments;
- enabling and construction work;
- key project milestones;
- updated costs and timescales, where approved; and
- information about the facilities and services to be provided.
Updates will appear on the Council’s swimming webpages and through Council news and communication channels.
