Warwick District Council approves funding for paddling pool refurb

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A £50,000 grant will be used to refurbish St Nicholas Park's paddling pool in Warwick



Plans to overhaul a popular outdoor paddling pool in Warwick have secured funding.

The attraction in St Nicholas Park will be given non-slip surfaces and "improved pool surrounds", Warwick District Council said.

Work on a second, larger pool at Victoria Park in Leamington Spa will take place at the same time.

"Both paddling pools now require a thorough refurbishment and upgrade," said councillor Will Roberts.

The improvement works in St Nicholas Park will be funded with a £50,000 grant - from the King Henry VIII Endowed Trust - and section 106 monies.

Mr Roberts, the council's portfolio holder for neighbourhood, added repairs and maintenance were carried out each year on the popular pools to "avoid having to close them for long periods of time."

"However, over the years, the repairs have become more substantial and costly, so we have now reached a point where ongoing maintenance is not sufficient," he said.

Work on both pools is due to start in the new year and finish by May.

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Park's paddling pool reopens after upgrade works



A refurbished paddling pool is due to reopen on Saturday, following delays getting materials.

Warwick District Council said upgrades to the pool at Victoria Park in Leamington included non-slip surfaces, improved surrounds, jets and fountains with free-standing shades and benches around the outside.

The authority said it would be open throughout the school summer holidays and remain open until September.

"We really appreciate people's patience as we've worked to get the pool ready and open for the summer holidays," said councillor Will Roberts.

"It's fantastic to be able to provide this fun, free, family friendly facility in the centre of Leamington."

Meanwhile, the authority said it was facing "ongoing challenges" with the refurbishment of the paddling pool at St Nicholas Park in Warwick, having earlier said it would open by the summer.

Further updates will be made in the coming weeks, a spokesperson said.

"Due to the more complex nature of the construction of the St Nicholas Park paddling pool and ongoing challenges with onsite water levels, this facility will take a little longer to complete," they added.

The council did not provide a date for when the St Nicholas Park pool was expected to reopen.

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Splash park closure leaves families high and dry



A new splash park in Leamington Spa, which had only been open for two weeks following refurbishment work, has been closed by the local council with "great sadness".

The paddling pool, at Victoria Park in the town centre, has been shut due to a "range of technical issues", Warwick District Council said.

It means families in Warwickshire and Coventry have been left with no public water play areas for children, with a new development in Warwick's St Nicholas Park yet to open, and a space in Coventry closed due to a mechanical failure.

A Warwick District Council spokesperson said it was "working hard with the contractors to fix the issues".

The splash park had reopened after revamp work in July.

It was previously earmarked for refurbishment as part of a council project, alongside the park in Warwick.

The council said it had been forced to close the site with "immediate effect", and officers "do not expect" the site to reopen for the rest of the school summer holidays.

In Warwick, the council is facing ongoing challenges with the project due to the "more complex nature" of the work.

It is not yet known when the paddling pool will open.

Following the Leamington Spa closure, Warwick District Council said: "The council understands the disappointment that this will cause especially given the fine weather and is working hard with the contractors to fix the issues."