Lib Dem Consett councillor Owen Temple is pressing Durham County Council for further information on the position of Consett’s Swimming Pool and the broader issue of whether the loss of water from the pool is wreaking further damage on the building as a whole.
After being assured that a specialist report would be completed in September, Owen has still not been able to find out whether it has been completed and whether the process of getting tenders for the remedial work has started.
“It’s very unsatisfactory,” said Owen. “There’s no way the council can give us any indication as to when the pool will be open until contractors have been appointed. I understand that the information the council can give may be limited because of potential legal proceedings in respect of any construction failures, but whether or not the specialist’s report has been completed can hardly be deemed top-secret.”
In the meantime Owen and other councillors are being deluged with enquiries from people who are keen to be able to use the pool again, and none of the contacts are more heart-wrenching than the appeals from young swimmers who were just starting to reach competitive standards, and are now frustrated and upset that their progress has been stopped in its tracks.
