The main swimming pool at a leisure centre will be closed for over three months to allow £362,000 repairs to the roof.

Corrosion is eating away at the roof above the 25-metre pool at Jubilee 2 in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and operator Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council says 'essential' repairs are now needed.

The main pool will be closed from December 8 until late March while the works are carried out – the smaller pool and the rest of the centre will remain open during this time.

Cabinet members at the borough council are expected to approve an extra £64,792 of funding for the project, bringing the total budget to £362,018.

The cabinet, which meets next Tuesday, will also be asked to authorise the award of the main contract for the works to Domino Commercial Interiors Ltd, following a procurement exercise.

Council officers have been investigating the corrosion issue at J2 for several years, and in 2023 safety netting was installed to prevent debris falling onto swimmers.

The report to cabinet explains that the high temperature and moist air within the swimming pool hall is making the corrosion worse, and leaving it would result in 'additional repairs required and increasing contractor costs'.

The main pool will be closed from December 8 until late March while the works are carried out (image via LDRS)

Councillor Craig Skelding, cabinet member for leisure, culture and heritage, said: "These works are essential to ensure the long-term safety and quality of our swimming facilities at J2.

"Unfortunately, we need to temporarily close the main pool for which we apologise, though the project team will make every effort to complete works as soon as possible. This funding allocation will enable the repairs to begin, and we'd like to thank people in advance for their patience and understanding while work takes place."

The budget for the repairs will include funding for the main contractor works as well as associated fees for the structural engineer, architect and designer.

Once the repairs are carried out, pool covers will be installed – according to the report, this will reduce the cost of heating the pool and support the council's sustainability programme.

But the report also notes that the closure of the main pool will mean a loss of income from pay-as-you-use customers and refunds to J2 members with swimming memberships.