Southern community pool closes due to safety concerns

Swimming lessons and after school clubs at the pool have been cancelled

A community swimming pool has been forced to close temporarily due to safety concerns with the lighting system, the facility's board has said.

The Southern Swimming Pool was shut on Friday after "early signs of corrosion" to the fittings were found, the board's chairman said.

Laurence Vaughan-Williams said while here was no "immediate risk", public safety was "paramount".

He confirmed a consultant's inspection would determine when it would reopen.

Mr Vaughan-Williams said two strip lights in the facility were not currently working, and it had been "extremely difficult" to find replacement parts.

The pool manager had also noticed some "wear and tear" on the fittings and their supports, which were installed 40 years ago, he said.

"Nobody wants to see the pool closed but we can't take any chances with the safety of the public," Mr Vaughan-Williams said.

Funding

At an extraordinary board meeting, members voted unanimously to close the community facility so the issues could be further examined.

Consultants carried out a review on Friday, and once the board learn what maintenance work might be required it will approach the Department of Education, Sport and Culture (Desc) for the funds required.

A 2022 report into the management of the island's local authority-run swimming facilities said the pool was at risk of insolvency without additional support.

In January, Tynwald backed investigating whether creating new sports hubs would ensure the future of regional swimming pools, which also included facilities in Peel and Ramsey.

The Desc and the Department of Infrastructure were tasked with creating a plan for the regional hubs, which is due to be debated at the January sitting of Tynwald.

Collectively the regional pools receive an annual government grant of £1.7m, the majority of which is used to cover operating costs.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]