Wiltshire | Archive | 2006 | July | 14
From the Salisbury Journal, first published Friday 14th Jul 2006.
SWIMMING enthusiasts in Tisbury say they have been left high and dry by Wiltshire county council, which has failed again to get their community pool open in time.
Tisbury swimming pool should be open on May 1 every year for the summer season, which usually runs until mid-September, but the pool will be out of action until at least early August.
The closure has already impacted on Tisbury Swimming Club, which has lost revenue and missed out on training and competitive commitments, as well as affecting schoolchildren and members of the public who use the pool.
Last week members of Salisbury district council's western area committee voted unanimously to write to the county council expressing their concern at the delay.
A specialist part has had to be made to order for the pool's pump, but frustrated residents say the council should have identified the fault much sooner, to allow time for repairs to be carried out.
Contractors inspected the pool in April and discovered the problem with the grill covering the outflow.
This is the fourth successive year in which the pool's opening has been delayed because repairs have been needed, but in other cases it has been operational by early July at the latest.
Mandy Maloney, treasurer of the swimming club, said the closure is very frustrating.
"The reason we're in this situation is that the county council didn't do anything about this until late April," she said.
"They should do their survey in the autumn, not in the spring, because it doesn't give enough time.
"It should be in the region of a 20-week season but, this year, we're going to get seven weeks at the most.
"All the children are missing out a lot of kids come up here almost every day in the holidays so there's a social impact as well."
A spokesman for Wiltshire county council said the problem arose because a new department took over responsibility for the pool in April, so work only started then.
"As soon as the grill is made, delivered and fitted to the base of the pool, we will be able to fill it with water, and open it to the swimming club," he said.
"In principle there is no reason why the inspection couldn't be carried out earlier.
"We are currently discussing the agreement with the club over how the pool is run, and it could be included in that."
© Newsquest Media Group 2008