THE increasingly busy Castle Douglas Swimming Pool will most likely close its doors in the coming months for a much-needed refurbishment.
Just as it was revealed that the leisure facility had smashed its attendance target for last year, Dumfries and Galloway Council chiefs confirmed that planning work is progressing for an upgrade to the building understood to be in the region of £500,000.
Capital funding will be invested by the council into the 52-year-old building, however there are no timescales yet as to when the work will begin because contractors are still to be appointed.
The matter was discussed at Stewartry Area Committee on Wednesday after a neighbourhood services report was tabled showing that Castle Douglas Swimming Pool recorded 65,233 visitors last year – going well beyond the set target of 55,887.
This was a 14 percent increase on the previous year’s visitor numbers of 56,041.
Castle Douglas and Crocketford Councillor Pauline Drysdale said: “It’s really good to see the uplift and to see people keeping fit and healthy.
“We had a lot of complaints about it looking a bit shabby, a lack of decent working hairdryers, and there was going to be some works done. I think the community might be quite interested in that. Hands up – I haven’t been using the pool and so haven’t been for a while, so any update would be much appreciated.”
Harry Hay, the council’s head of thriving communities, replied: “We got a recent update from colleagues in property and estates services that they’re currently completing the updated inspection and schedule of works, with a view to producing the required tender documents to go out to market.
“Members will no doubt be aware that the capital funding was previously allocated to this project, and it’s at the stage where they’re trying to navigate through the tendering process and also liaise with the service.
“Inevitably with the scale of the work that’s involved, the facility will have to be closed. We’re making sure that we programme that in and work a communications strategy with that to make sure that everybody – particularly customers/members – are fully aware of what’s happening and timescales.”
