Pool closures 'having catastrophic impact' - club

Both pools at Richmond Swimming Pool have been shut until further notice

Pool closures in a North Yorkshire town are having "a catastrophic impact" on swimmers, a club has said.

The two pools at Richmond Swimming Pool have been shut since April after part of the ceiling collapsed.

It has meant that swimmers from Richmond Dales Amateur Swimming Club are missing out on "vital training time" ahead of a competitive season, said head coach Gordon Rea.

Councillor Simon Myers, North Yorkshire Council's executive member for leisure, warned that repair work could run into summer but were essential to provide "a safe and reliable facility".

Mr Rea said: "The top swimmers train 16 hours a week in the pool and now they've lost up to 75% of their training time in a particularly unforgiving sport.

"It takes a lot to get that level of fitness back when you're not able to consistently train."

'No magic solution'

Mr Rea said the club was having to find alternative venues at short notice, preventing it from being able to book the amount of time needed for a typical training session.

"We've been offered an hour here and there but it's not amounting to anything like what we've lost.

"There's no magic solution. Obviously the sooner the better, but it's going to be a big job if they have to replace the ceiling."

Myers said that possible solutions were being considered to deal with the issues.

"To help our customers stay active and maintain their well-being, we are looking into how we can offer them the use of our pools in neighbouring areas," he said.

"We apologise for the disruption this will cause and would like to thank our customers for their continued support and understanding during this time."

The café and the gym remain open but a date has not yet been set for the reopening of the pools.

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