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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Shaun Keenan

Derry's City Baths reopening date yet to be confirmed as cost of renovation almost doubles

No timeframe has been put on the opening of the City Baths in Derry, the council have said.

The news comes after it emerged that the cost of the renovation works for the leisure facility has soared to £1m despite original budgets showing it would cost £600,000.

Derry's oldest sporting facility, which opened in 1961, has been closed throughout the lockdown period.

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A previous report carried out by council officials estimated that the required repairs to the building would cost £599,000.

However, it has emerged that the "likely cost" of the works will cost £1m - and it's unclear whether the costs will stop there.

In a report to the Health and Community Committee on June 16, it said the "overall financial requirement will only be known when contractor tender returns have been received and assessed".

Members will be required to consider and approve the subsequent capital allocation to allow a tender award to be made in the coming months.

It's understood that a large proportion of the money, at least £300,000, would be spent on replacing the swimming pool's filtration system.

Meanwhile, the council are also set to spend £40,000 on the painting of the entire building.

Sinn Fein's Christopher Jackson said that he was looking forward to seeing the facility being reopened.

"We're keen to see the building brought back into use. It's been out of use for far too long and we acknowledge that some of the rises of prices have been outside of our control.

"Now is our opportunity to go out to tender and get a contract in place, getting this rectified as soon as possible.

"We welcome the progress and look forward to the paper being brought to committee surrounding the tender and hopefully there is no more rising costs."

People Before Profit, Shaun Harkin added: "People are frustrated. There is a demand for it. We have told people that the [City] Baths were going to be opened on a certain date and that date came and went.

"People begin to get suspicious at that point because they begin to think that it's being run-down for eventual closure.

"If we're trying to encourage people to look after their health and wellbeing then the City Baths has a role to play in the heart of our community."

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