The Leisure Pool closes Monday 28 September, reopening early 2027. The rapids have already gone. What shuts, what stays open, and what is still unpublished.
The Leisure Pool at Leisure World Colchester closes on Monday 28 September and is not expected to reopen until early 2027. Colchester City Council confirmed the date on 21 September, three weeks after announcing a £1.4m refurbishment without one. (Colchester City Council, 21 September 2026)
Part of the pool has already gone. The outdoor rapids closed on 11 September and will not reopen before the refurbishment is finished.
What has already closed
Leisure World shut the outdoor rapids “with immediate effect” on 11 September to allow preparatory work. Its notice at the time said “all other Leisure Pool attractions will remain open as normal” until the main closure. (Leisure World, 11 September 2026)
The council’s 21 September update goes further than that notice did. It says the rapids “have now closed and will remain unavailable until the Leisure Pool reopens next year”. So the rapids are out for the whole of the closure, not just for the preparation.
Scaffolding is also up. The council says it is being erected “to enable improvements to the external sections of the flumes”. It adds that “all other areas of the Leisure Pool remain open for customers to enjoy before the refurbishment begins”.
What the £1.4m buys
The council’s original announcement on 1 September listed six pieces of work:
- relining the pool
- upgraded changing facilities
- improvements to the external flumes
- improved air ventilation
- a new splash pad
- upgraded water features
(Colchester City Council, 1 September 2026)
The 21 September update repeats five of those six. Improved air ventilation is not mentioned in it. Leisure World’s own page for the pool still lists ventilation in the programme, so we are not treating it as dropped. (Leisure World, The Leisure Pool)
The money line has changed
The two announcements are three weeks apart and the framing is different.
On 1 September, Cllr William Sunnucks, portfolio holder for resources and assets, said the investment “reflects our commitment to maintaining and improving the Council’s assets”.
On 21 September, the same councillor said the improvements “form part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining and investing in council facilities to the extent possible within the Council’s severe financial constraints”.
The £1.4m figure has not changed, and neither has the list of works. The caveat about the council’s finances is new.
Cllr Martin Goss, portfolio holder for waste, neighbourhoods and leisure, did not touch the finances. He called the Leisure Pool “a popular destination for families across Colchester and beyond for many years” and said the works would “ensure the facility remains a fun and welcoming place for families to enjoy in the future”.
Pictures of the new pool: not published by the council
Images showing how the refurbished pool could look were circulated to the press this week. The council has not put any of them on its own website.
The only picture on its 21 September release is a photograph of Cllr Goss and Cllr Sunnucks holding the plans for the new water features. Leisure World has not published designs on its site either. Because we have no first-party version of the visuals, we are not describing what they show.
What stays open
Leisure World has three pools. Only one of them is closing.
- The Leisure Pool closes on 28 September. Flumes, waves, the crazy river, the water cannons and the rapids all go with it.
- The Fitness Pool stays open. It is 25 metres with six lanes and, in Leisure World’s words, “one of the largest swimming pools in North Essex and is competition standard”.
- The Teaching Pool stays open. It is heated warmer than the Fitness Pool and is used for beginners.
(Leisure World, Our Swimming Pools)
The council says “other facilities at Leisure World Colchester will remain open and operating as normal throughout the refurbishment period”.
The closure covers both school holidays
The Leisure Pool will be shut for the rest of this term and all of next. Colchester’s schools follow the Essex County Council calendar, which sets:
- October half term: Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026
- Christmas holiday: Monday 21 December to Thursday 31 December 2026
- Spring term back: Monday 4 January 2027
(Essex County Council, academic year 2026 to 2027)
Both of those fall inside the closure. “Early 2027” has not been narrowed down, so February half term is not safe to plan around either.
Swimming lessons and memberships
Leisure World has published its swim school holiday break dates for 2026. No lessons run in October half term, from 26 October to 1 November, or over the Christmas break, from 22 December to 3 January.
It also says direct debit plans already account for those breaks. Payments are “calculated using the annual cost of 40 lessons and are spread evenly across 12 monthly payments”, with no action needed from parents. (Leisure World, 2026 swimming lesson holiday breaks)
That covers the holidays. It does not cover the closure. Neither the council nor Leisure World has published anything on:
- whether any lessons held in the Leisure Pool are moving, and where to
- whether memberships are adjusted, frozen or refunded while the pool is shut
- an exact reopening date
We checked all four published notices on 23 September. None of them addresses memberships.
What it means for you
If the Leisure Pool is the reason your family goes to Leisure World, this weekend is the last one. The pool is open until Sunday 27 September and the rapids are already out, so a trip now is flumes, waves and the crazy river rather than the full set.
If you pay a membership you use mainly for the Leisure Pool, raise it with the centre this week. There is no published policy, and asking before the doors shut is easier than asking in November.
If your children have lessons, check which pool they are in. The Fitness Pool and the Teaching Pool both stay open, and the published swim school breaks are the usual holiday ones rather than anything to do with the works.
One practical note on getting there. Parking at Colchester Leisure Park is covered on our parking in Colchester page, and Cowdray Avenue is part of the inner ring road, so check current closures on our Colchester roadworks and travel page before you set off. For somewhere else to take the family over half term, see things to do in Colchester.
Updated 23 September 2026. This article was first published on 3 September 2026, when the council had given no closing date and Leisure World’s website was not serving pages. It has been rewritten from the council’s 21 September update and Leisure World’s own notices of 11 and 18 September.
Frequently asked questions
When does Colchester Leisure Pool close?
Monday 28 September 2026. Colchester City Council confirmed the date on 21 September. The outdoor rapids closed earlier, on 11 September.
When will it reopen?
Early 2027. No exact date has been published by the council or by Leisure World.
Is all of Leisure World closing?
No. Only the Leisure Pool. The 25 metre six-lane Fitness Pool and the Teaching Pool stay open, and the council says other facilities at Leisure World Colchester will operate as normal throughout.
What is the £1.4m being spent on?
Relining the pool, upgraded changing facilities, improvements to the external flumes, improved air ventilation, a new splash pad and upgraded water features, as listed by the council on 1 September 2026.
Will the pool be open over October half term?
No. Essex schools break from 26 to 30 October 2026, which falls inside the closure. The Christmas holiday, 21 to 31 December, does too.
What happens to memberships and swimming lessons?
Nothing has been published. Neither the council nor Leisure World has said whether memberships are adjusted or whether lessons held in the Leisure Pool are moving. Leisure World’s swim school holiday breaks are separate and were already scheduled.
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