Newlands swimming pool has been closed since 2017.
The public can finally look forward to the reopening of the Newlands swimming pool after the City closed it for four years of maintenance and repairs.
The City says the pool needed major repairs, but a Claremont resident, Rose Jackson, who regularly used the pool believes the work took unusually long.
“I would visit the pool every weekday, sometimes at weekends, so at least five to six days a week. I am a pensioner, so it was affordable for me. What has struck me the most about the long history of the repairs is that it was already closed before the water crisis in May 2017 for ’an upgrade'.”
Since then she returned the pool a few times each year hoping to see signs of it reopening.
“I was not able to swim very often since it’s been closed because as a pensioner I am not able to afford the transport to Sea Point or town pools. I used to swim in Sea Point and Long Street pool occasionally, but both of these were closed during lockdown.”
Ms Jackson is now relieved to hear that the pool is scheduled to reopen in late January.
An exact date for the reopening can only be set once the water quality has been checked and other tests done, according to City spokesman Luthando Tyhalibongo.
The recreation and parks department, he said, had found that the pool facilities had needed about R15 million worth of work that had included replacing wall-and-floor tiling in both the main pool and the diving pool, paving around the pools, waterproofing all structural joints, fixing leaks, upgrading the electrical reticulation system in the main building and repairing the grandstand and filtration-plant room.
“The department looks forward to introducing the much-improved ablution facilities, improved spectator stand, surrounding paving and upgraded entrance once the facility officially reopens,” he said.