Thank you for all of your messages of support and enquiries since last Thursday’s government announcement that outdoor pools can finally open.
We are aiming to open on July 25, all being well. However we need to make it clear that it can not be business as usual this year; restricted numbers; restricted timed sessions; no free Tuesdays, no season tickets, no changing facilities, no adult-only sessions etc. These measures are being implemented to ensure the pool operates smoothly and to ensure we work within the government guidelines. Your safety is our priority!
We really wish it was a case of simply opening the gates but we have a lot of work to do to ensure that everything is ready and as safe as possible!
Lots of people are questioning the delay and why we are not already open. Firstly we only ever open for a limited number of weeks in the summer and we never knew whether pools would be given the green light or not, within our usual operational timeframe. We didn’t want to commit staff time and expense to prepare the water (left fallow since last September) unnecessarily – we’d have been criticised if we did and it wasn’t used. We are now focussing on working up the plan, sorting the water and recruiting and training staff ( seasonal only – and a number of previous staff members have found alternative work).
We had to also consider whether or not it was financially viable to open for what will be an incredibly short season but Councillors considered that the pool is a public service and that it should open, if possible and if it can be done safely.
We hope this clears up a few things. We appreciate your support and understand that you are keen to get in there but we ask for your patience for just a while longer.
We will post more updates over the coming days.
Thank you!