WORK to repair Westbury Swimming Pool is finally under way and the facility is expected to re-open in mid-June.
The pool will be shut for its 125th anniversary, but will be open in time for the summer holidays. Wiltshire Council has appointed a new contractor who has started to remedy problems with the pool’s lining. After failing to reach a resolution with their original contractor, the council says the ‘key concern’ was the impact the closure is having on users.
The council assures taxpayers that the full cost of the remedial work will be sought from the original contractor.
If the pool opens in mid-June as planned, the closure will have lasted three and a half months. The pool was also closed for eight weeks last year.
Robin Townsend, head of leisure services for Wiltshire Council said, “We’re delighted this work is under way and we can now look forward to the pool re-opening. We would like to apologise to all our users that the work has taken longer than anticipated. Our main priority has always been to re-open the pool as soon as possible. We have acted swiftly to get a new contractor in place to get the work completed.
“Westbury Pool is so important to the local community. It is 125 years since the pool opened and we’ll look to work with the town council and swimming club to mark this significant milestone.”
Full steam ahead at last
An eight-week closure last year had been intended to boost the pool by installing new facilities – but work on the pool’s lining was deemed unsatisfactory.
The pool has been closed again since the beginning of March while tests were carried out to identify the fault, which had caused blistering to the pool’s lining.
125th anniversary will still be celebrated
WESTBURY Pool is still set to be closed for its 125th anniversary this month, but it is hoped that celebrations can take place when the pool re-opens.
The Victorian pool is one of the oldest working pools in the country, built at the cost of £5,000 by William Laverton. The foundation stone was laid on 11th May 1887, and the opening ceremony of the pool took place on 24th May 1888.
Plans to celebrate the 125th anniversary will take shape once the timescale of the work is made clear and a re-opening date is set. It is suggested that a re-launch and anniversary celebrations could be combined when the pool re-opens.
