Dundee's Olympia swimming pools to remain closed until October 2023
A £6.1 million council plan to "upgrade" and "improve" the facility will be considered by councillors
Dundee's Olympia swimming pools, which closed their doors last October for maintenance, are to remain closed until October 2023.
The city council have unveiled a new 39 point plan to upgrade and improve the facility at a cost of £6.1 million to be considered by councillors next Wednesday.
The plan would see Robertson Construction Tayside Ltd appointed to repair water leaks, improve environmental conditions, upgrade the fabric of the building and refurbish and replace equipment.
Included in the works would be the replacement and refurbishment of the flume launch pad and supporting structure, the removal of areas of corrosion and treatment and refurbishment of the steelwork and stairs.
The work would also see alterations made to improve the performance of the ventilation system in the pool hall and changing areas and revisions to lighting for improved access for future maintenance.
Mark Flynn convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee said: “After a thorough process a clear way forward for the refurbishment of Olympia has been identified which also proposes that there is a strategy for future maintenance closures.
“The prices that came back as part of the tender exercise, which reflect the current market in the context of Brexit, post pandemic demand and the war in Ukraine, mean that the works will cost £1.6m more than has been identified in the Capital Plan.
“In order to carry out these essential works it is proposed that the additional cost be met from the COVID-19 capital expenditure fund and the Renewal and Repair Fund.”
The work programme includes a four-week mobilisation period followed by a 60-week construction phase which the council say will deliver a sequenced approach, with a completion date in October next year.
Whilst the pools have been closed Dundee's aquatic community have been feeling the impact. That's according to David Haig, head coach of Dundee City Aquatics. He said: "It will be a challenge for the club to maintain our membership as it is. At the moment we have lost quite a few swimmers over the last few months, primarily our masters swimmers who find the alternatives available from us just don't fit their lifestyle anymore."
He added: "We have a diving section and one of the handful of diving facilities in Scotland (Olympia) and to be honest they're on their knees. I'm not convinced there will be a diving section. We're going to have to do a lot of work with the youngsters to keep that going and get them through until Olympia re-opens which is a shame."
Despite the long closure, David is delighted to have a date his team can work towards, he said: "Having that date, we can work towards that. Everyone can work towards that and I'm glad that appears to be out in the public domain because we can work towards that, long way as it is, It's good and I'm glad we have it."
The head coach added that the pools re-opening would make a big difference for the city's aquatics community, saying : "If we want competition we almost entirely have to head up to Aberdeen or through to Edinburgh or Glasgow area. It will make a huge difference because there is really no place in Dundee that is even half an alternative. That will make a massive difference and it will bring back the heart of district swimming."