Tranent - Loch Centre will not close next month as planned

A repair and refurbishment project was required after the swimming pool closed in 2023 due to a fault with the roof; the pool has remained shut ever since.

Funding totalling £5 million was announced in the local authority’s budget that same year and remains secured.

It was announced in April last year that the entire facility – including the gym, soft play and sports hall space – would close in June 2026, and this target was reinstated in April this year.

However, a contractor has not yet been finalised, meaning that the Loch Centre will not shut next month for the year-long refurbishment as planned.

The first phase of the project included work to the heating systems, which has recently been completed, and the tendering process to identify a preferred contractor is nearing its conclusion.

The contractor is expected to be finalised “in the coming days”, with further discussions required before any timeline can be confirmed.

East Lothian Council expects to be “in a position to announce” the works schedule by the end of June.

A spokesperson said that, while work requiring the centre’s closure would not begin next month as planned, “substantial progress on the project is being made”.

In the meantime, Tranent Amateur Swimming Club has been forced to train at other pools, including those at Mercat Gait in Prestonpans and Musselburgh Sports Centre, over the past three years.

The centre was built in 1970 and is home to one of East Lothian’s most popular swimming pools.

Throughout the process, local representatives, including members of Tranent and Elphinstone Community Council, have backed the project and welcomed the progress being made.

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “Extensive work was recently completed on heating systems at the Loch Centre, which constituted the first phase of the £5 million repair and refurbishment project.

“We expect the tendering process to identify a preferred contractor for the principal works at the centre, which will necessitate its closure for around a year, to be finalised in the coming days.

“Further discussions with the contractor will be required before their formal appointment and the confirmation of a timeline.

“We anticipate being in a position to announce that works schedule by the end of June.

“Once completed, the essential repairs will provide Tranent with a refreshed facility which is fit for the future.

"Funding for the renovation has come from the council’s capital budget.”