Manchester Aquatics Centre to reopen after £31m revamp 

The Oxford Road facility will be open to the public from Monday, 19 months after closing for the refurb. 

Built for the Commonwealth Games in 2002, Manchester Aquatics Centre has been closed to the public since November 2021 after approval for the refurbishment project was granted. 

Now, the first part of Manchester City Council’s £31m project to upgrade the venue and improve its sustainability credentials has completed in time for the venue to host the World Para Swimming Championships in late July. 

Improvements to the building include enhancing the health and fitness facilities, upgrading the swimming pools, and the installation of new digital and sustainable technologies to provide a more modern and efficient building. 

The scheme forms part of the city council’s ongoing efforts to decarbonise its estate and achieve zero carbon emissions by 2038. 

The existing gas heating system has been replaced with air source heat pumps, while 1,006 solar panels have been installed on the roof of the centre, alongside a battery system that will allow the MAC to use solar energy. The building’s lighting and air handling systems have also been replaced. 

Phase two of the refurbishment will begin in September and will include upgrades to all basement areas, programmed over the next 12 months. 

Manchester City Council is paying for the upgrades. A total of £29.1m is being raised through borrowing and the remaining £1.3m through capital receipts from land and building sales, according to a proposal signed off by the council in 2021. 

Cllr John Hacking, Manchester City Council’s executive member for skills, employment and leisure, described the reopening of the centre as a “momentous occasion for the city”. 

“The return of the Aquatics Centre is a key strategic goal for the city council, we want to ensure that our communities have access to state-of-the-art facilities in Manchester and, make sure that we’re looking after the wellbeing, both physical and mental, of our residents.   

“Thanks to the city council’s large investment, the Aquatics Centre is now better equipped to suit the needs of our residents, who can now benefit from a wide range of brilliant sports equipment, aquatic upgrades, spa facilities and changing space.” 

The scheme has also received £3m from the government’s £1bn Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. 

The revamp is designed by Pozzoni Architecture and was carried out by Kier Construction. Ridge and Partners is the structural engineer for the project and TACE is the M&E consultant.    

Manchester Aquatics Centre is operated by MCRactive and Greenwich Leisure and meets the demand of six community swimming pools, according to the city council. 

Andy King, chief executive of Manchester Active, said: “The centre is a key player in contributing to Manchester’s reputation as an international city of sport and remains one of the most important legacy outcomes of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in the success of GB Para Swimming.   

“Not only will we welcome back a thriving events programme with national and international reach and significant economic value to Manchester, but also more than 700 school children each week and more than 900 people on public programmes.”