Ipswich’s historic Fore Street Swimming Pool will be closed next week to allow it to become more green – but not in water colour!

Ipswich council is to carry out planned maintenance at the Victorian pool, which is used mainly by local schools and community groups, to replace the plant room boiler system with a more energy efficient one.

New gas fittings and a more compact storage tank will complete the new-look plant room, although customers won’t see these behind the scenes improvements.

What they will see, however, is a new automatic pool cover, which will also help cut energy costs and improve the building’s carbon footprint.

The work begins on Saturday and will last a week, during which the pool will be closed. It will reopen on Monday, September 4.

A council spokesman said: “We apologise for the inconvenience caused, but a greener pool will benefit everyone by cutting energy consumption and costs.”