The extent of the work needed to be done at Splashworld has been revealed in a damning council report as decisions are sought on the level of funding required.
The leisure centre and swimming baths in Southport closed in December 2019 for refurbishment work that was only meant to last eight months, but when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the building played a vital role in providing tests for the area. In a recently published report calling for a decision to be made on funding, it has been stated that an estimated £270,000 will be needed to pay for further repair costs.
It was published in May last year that the closure had come as a result of “significant health and safety health and safety concerns stemming from failure in the pool tile surfaces” and that Sefton Council had lodged a legal claim against Splash World’s original developers relating to “latent defects” at the facility after spending “several years” trying to resolve the issue informally.
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The flooring surrounding the water play area in the building is the main concern, with the flooring being deemed as "high risk following repeated incidents" when the water park was first opened. The council installed a rubber-crumb safety floor to prevent more incidents, and insurance claims, although the floor now needs completely replacing.
It has been recommended that the council replace the floor with the same type of material that needs annual maintenance, with it estimated to cost £25,000 with £2,000-£4,000 needing to be spent each year. Another piece of essential work is on the pool filtration pumps, with the pool not being drained until May 2020 due to the "ongoing dispute, it was several months before the pool was drained and further investigative testing was undertaken".
It is estimated that replacing the 12 pumps will cost £80,000, with not replacing them not being an option. Another estimated cost is £35,000 needed to repaint the handrail supports on the flume tower within the waterpark, this requires the paint being stripped and the metal repolished as well as being repainted.
Other essential work needed includes the safety handrail around Splash World that has had "frequent" structural failings around "deep-rooted rusting" since its installation, the replacement of four "large sand bed filters" which are "expected its condition will be beyond serviceable", and as part of the latent defect works that have taken place already, the old wiring to the lights, emergency lights and CCTV has been stripped out with it now being seen as an opportunity to fit new energy-efficient LED lighting, emergency lighting and CCTV.
As well as the number of essential works needed for the water park to reopen, necessary works also include the refurbishing of the 15-year-old toilets that have had "high usage" since Splashworld opened. It has been recommended that there's "a light touch refurbishment at a cost of £20k to replace vanity units and stained panelling".
It has been advised that £10,000 is spent on replacing the artificial foliage which is a "key aesthetic" in the water park and creates a "tropical ambience", a £15,000 budget is allocated to refurbishing the cafe as well as replacing furniture, ovens, grills and the fridge freezer which are "beyond economical repair".
Taking all the costs into account, it is estimated that £270,000 is required to complete the work and the money would be borrowed and repaid over 10 years. The earliest opportunity to agree on the funding is July 14 but it is currently being sought that a decision is made earlier due to the desire to open the attraction this summer. It's expected that a decision will be made later today.
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