Closing one regional swimming pool would save approximately £434,000, a government report published this week has concluded.

The report into regional sports hubs will be discussed in next month’s Tynwald sitting.

It says that based on the current budgets for the regional pools as well as the NSC, there is an annual shortfall of just over £1 million.

Substantial increases in energy costs, cost of living and inflation make the current funding model challenging, it says.

The regional pools are funded through local rates that total around £92,000 and an annual £1.75m Government subvention. In recent years, Treasury has also provided further financial help with increased energy costs.

The report outlines a number of options moving forward, but notably to close the Southern Swimming Pool, and use the funding saved to support delivery of the other facilities.

The other two regional pools would remain with their respective boards.

This is the option that the Department for Education, Sports and Culture recommends, and will seek approval for in February’s Tynwald sitting.

That is despite the Department of Infrastructure recommending for the management of the regional pools to be moved to the DESC.

The DESC acknowledges that the chosen recommendation does not support the delivery aim in creating regional sports hubs because it does not hold sufficient funding to sustain current delivery.

The southern pool is 43 years old, with the report saying that the pool has not been maintained adequately, and now requires significant funding to remain operational over the next five years.

The lack of insulation within the building also leads to running costs which are considerably higher than those of a modern facility of similar size, it says.

The report recommends that a new swimming pool in the south should be considered.

Last week, the Southern Pool Board was notified that a Tynwald recommendation would be made for the pool to close permanently on March 31 this year.

But in feedback on the plan, the Southern Pool Board said: ‘The consensus of the Board is that the CRHS masterplan is deficient as it does not make provision for a replacement pool.

‘Whilst the board is broadly in favour of a centralised administration and the creation of a sports hub including a new pool in the south of the island, it is firmly of the view that the existing pool should be kept open, with sufficient funds devoted to its maintenance and improvement, until such a hub can be created.’

A petition to save swimming provision in the south of the island has amassed more than 2,500 signatures since it was launched last Friday (January 12).