Families have spoken of their sadness after it was announced the Victoria Embankment paddling pool near the River Trent had permanently closed. On Thursday (May 19), Nottingham City Council, which is responsible for the running of the pool, confirmed it planned to hold talks with members of the public over what should replace the landmark.
The pool, which opened in the 1940s, has been enjoyed for decades by families and it was the city's last traditional paddling pool. Among families who have rued the loss of the important facility, and spoken of their memories, was mum Karla Grey.
Ms Grey, a 51-year-old nurse from Carlton who has an 11-year-old son, said: “It’s just a shame. It’s like why does the pool have to go? My youngest loves the pool, I used to take him when he was younger and the amount of people that would be here would be great.
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"You get to talk to other parents whilst the children have fun and play in the sun and it’s just a good time. The council can say what they like, everyone knows what situation they’re in. Maybe if they spent the money more correctly, the pool would come back.”
The 'treasured' pool was closed amid soaring and unsustainable repair costs. Hundreds of people signed a petition last year calling for it to be saved after the city council said the filtration system was beyond repair and numerous cracks had been discovered. It is thought it could cost up to £400,000 to get it back in working condition, but it is a price the council simply cannot afford to pay.
Last year the authority said it was to launch a consultation over what comes next but this was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nottinghamshire Live has been told it will not be reopening in time for summer, with the pool's future uncertain.
Dad Ryan James, a 33-year-old lorry driver who lives in Lady Bay, said he felt for other parents who remembered the pool. He said: “I understand why parents would be upset. I wouldn’t take my son to the pool now because I think he’s too young but, as he gets older, it would have been nice to take him down here in the summer.
“I’ve never had a reason to come and see the pool in the summer but now I’m a dad: I go to all these baby groups with my wife. I think that Nottingham is losing a lot of things at the moment. I remember when I was a kid there used to be loads to do.”
Ellie Myers, a 23-year-old hairdresser who lives in the city centre, added: “Kids love water so I’m sure many people will be saddened. Hopefully in the coming years, it can either reopen or maybe something better open at the park to compensate for losing the paddling pool. I think that people may be worried what else will discontinue but, fingers crossed, there’s nothing else.”
Speaking previously, Eddie Curry, head of public realm at the city council, said: “We’re really sorry that the Victoria Embankment paddling pool had to close last year and unfortunately we’re not going to be able to reopen it this summer.
“The original pool dates back more than 70 years to the 1940s, while the current plant equipment is from the 1980s. This has made maintaining the facility extremely challenging, both in a practical and financial sense. Parts are increasingly difficult to source and often very expensive.
“We’ve carried out numerous repairs in the past 15 years but, with such pressure on funds, these have invariably been more short-term in nature. We estimate it would cost around £400,000 to bring the pool back up to current standards for use – this is not something which our Parks budget could sustain.
“A planned consultation was unfortunately delayed by Covid-related capacity and ongoing work to restore the nearby war memorial. We plan to speak to the public in the coming weeks to see what they would like in place of the pool. We will then look to launch a strategy to raise funds externally.”
The pool has been closed a number of times due to faults over the years. In July 2019, a family spoke of their frustration when the facility was closed on one of the hottest days of the year because of what was described as a "fatal pump breakdown". A new pump was ordered so the pool could reopen at the time.
Meanwhile, the Embankment has been the subject to a wider regeneration project, with £1.7m in funding secured to restore the war memorial and original gardens, and to create a new visitor centre and toilets.
