There is anger in Pontardawe today and concern from a councillor after serious defects resulted in the immediate closure of the town's swimming pool. It has been revealed that some of the issues first highlighted EIGHT years ago in a report in 2014 are still outstanding.
Councillors in Neath Port Talbot have approved funding for repair work at Pontardawe Swimming Pool this week, estimated to be worth around £141,000 over two years. The funding will allow for emergency works to be carried out so that the well-used pool can be re-opened in January of 2023.
But it has been stated that the repairs will only be a temporary and short term solution for the site, with the work extending the life of the pool for a maximum of just two years.
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More worryingly, the issues discovered by building surveyors ARUP actually date back to 2014 and are related to a "void" around the training pool and columns under spectator seating, as well as further deterioration of the structural concrete in pool tank walls, concrete soffits, and external concrete walls.
The pool has been managed by not-for-profit trust Celtic Leisure since 2002 but control is now due to transfer to the council by next April. Work required includes the installing of vertical propping to beams and slabs around the perimeter of the training pool, propping to external retaining walls around the training pool, as well as vertical and horizontal propping to columns below spectator seating adjacent to the main pool.
The report presented to members read: "The council commissioned ARUP to carry out a building review of Pontardawe Swimming School. However, it has highlighted that there is deterioration of the structural concrete in columns, pool tank walls, concrete soffits and external concrete walls since previous inspections to the learner pool and spectator stand.
"Accordingly, a decision was taken, jointly with Celtic Leisure Limited on November 28, 2022, to temporarily close Pontardawe Swimming Pool with effect from Wednesday, 30 November, 2022, based on the advice contained within the report, to enable repair work to be undertaken. It is envisaged the pool will re-open at the end of January, 2023."
While the funding was unanimously approved by members in attendance at a meeting, Councillor Sean Pursey said he had some concerns as to how the structure had been allowed to deteriorate to this extent.
He said: "Of particular concern I suppose is the fact that it appears some of the recommendations from the 2014 report are still outstanding in 2022, and though I'm not expecting answers today, as a member I'd like some reassurance or some explanation as to what's happened in this case."
In Pontardawe there were also questions from residents asking why the situation had been allowed to become so urgent, as well as concerns over how the area would be impacted.
Aaron Billing was born and raised in Pontardawe and said he was disappointed to hear of the temporary closure. He said: "I used to use the centre a lot growing up as a kid and I know it is well used by a wide range of age groups in the community from elderly people and pensioners to school children and teenagers. It is also the only pool in the area with the nearest other place being in Neath, so it will definitely be a miss for people if they can't use it over the Christmas period I think.
"Obviously people in the community will have a lot of questions about this sudden closure in the coming weeks, asking why it has only just come to light that it was so unsafe, and why something wasn't done about it sooner."
Jill Lord also lives in Pontardawe and added that the closure could have a big impact on residents over the next two months, as they would have to travel much further afield to swim.
She said: "The closure of the pool is going to have a massive impact on residents over the next two months, and the cost of maintenance when it re-opens looks like it will be very high as well. Two months might not seem like a long time to some people, but for members who use it regularly, as well as members of local swimming clubs who swim competitively, there will definitely be a knock-on effect to their training. They will now have to travel to places like Neath or Morriston to use a pool, which could come at a big expense."
Kelly Frost works at Frosty's Greengrocers in Pontardawe, and said that after years of using the pool growing up she was just glad that nobody was hurt by any potential hazards discovered. She said: "It is a shame that it will have to be closed now for the next few weeks but at the same time if there are structural issues making it unsafe then I'm just glad they closed it before anything happened or someone was hurt.
"Pontardawe pool is a well used place, and for me it is a very nostalgic place as well, as I always went there a lot growing up. I'm sure the people who use it now will be disappointed but hopefully they can get it open again for them soon." You can read more of our stories from Neath Port Talbot here, or subscribe to our newsletter here.
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