A final decision on whether Stevenage Borough Council can go ahead with plans to demolish the town's swimming pool and replace it with a new £44m sports and leisure centre is set to be made next Tuesday (9 September).

Council officers have recommended that the authority's planning committee approves the plans when it meets.

But a crime prevention officer at Hertfordshire Constabulary has raised concerns about the decision to include mixed changing rooms despite "reports of voyeurism" in the current swimming pool changing rooms.

The new centre would include a 25 metre long swimming pool with 10 lanes, as well as a teaching pool, splash pad, six-court sports hall, gym, studios, changing facilities and a café.

It would combine facilities currently provided across the Swimming Centre and the Arts and Leisure Centre, next to Lytton Way. 

Swim England, though, has warned that the proposed pool depth of 1.8 metres, significantly shallower than the 3.8 metre maximum depth of the existing pool, is below the required depth for artistic swimming – and could lead to the closure of Aqualina Artistic Swimming Club.

Swim England told the council: "There is no suitable alternative provision available nearby and there is potential that the club would have to close, therefore."

The new facility will also not include any squash courts, compared to six in the existing leisure centre, while the sports hall will be two courts smaller than the current hall.

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Sport England said that there will be "impacts on some sports" but pointed out that other facilities would gain space, including swimming, with total pool space rising from 480 sqm to 695 sqm.

They also said that the current swimming centre and leisure centre – built in 1962 and 1975 respectively – are "reaching the end" of their lifespans and "would be unlikely to be financially sustainable for a local authority to continue to operate over a long-term period".

Hertfordshire police's crime prevention officer said they cannot support the application.

They noted that 76 crimes were recorded at the existing swimming pool and sports and leisure centre in 2024/25 and said: "Issues around crime, disorder and the fear of crime do not appear to have been considered within this scheme."

The officer added that they have "substantive concerns regarding the proposed mixed changing rooms".

They said: "There have already been reports of voyeurism in the existing mixed changing facilities, and this could increase if mixed facilities are provided.

"This could be mitigated by redesigning the facilities.

"Doing so would also demonstrate that the issue of violence towards women and girls has been considered."

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The new building would be three and four storeys tall, with access from Fairlands Way to a 53-space car park. If approved, the new centre would be built while the existing pool is still in use. 

The project as a whole is expected to cost £44.2m, with £10m of that coming through the government's Towns Fund.

Money from that fund must be used by the end of March 2026. 

Earlier plans for the centre included three squash courts, a meeting room and a creche, but these have now been removed.

The centre was also expected to become a new home for youth services currently provided at the next door Bowes Lyon House, but this is no longer proposed.