Delivery of regional pools 'inadequate' and 'fragmented'

Report says taking sites into government control could be beneficial

The Southern Swimming Pool needs to be taken into government control or it could become insolvent by the end of the current financial year.

That's the finding of a report into the Island's regional swimming pools by UK consultants Knight Kavanagh and Page.

The report blames a lack of government oversight and governance of funding to the regional pools for the financial challenges facing the Castletown facility.

The review states the current delivery of swimming on the Island is fragmented, while inadequate governance does not deliver against the Island Plan's health and wellbeing objectives.

The 32-page document says regional boards have been left to their own devices without audit trails, and there is a need for a 'more radical approach' to how the pools are managed.

It concludes the Western Pool is the best performing of the regional sites, while the Northern Pool is comfortable, but the Southern Pool has been in a 'downward spiral'.

The financial impact of decisions by the previous board at the Southern Pool, as well as uncertainty over the proposals for a 50m facility at King William's College have affected its performance.

KKP says maintaining the status quo has been discounted by all stakeholders on the basis that the current structure isn't fit for purpose, while a single pool board policy was ruled out because the Northern and Western boards wouldn't want to take on the liabilities of the Southern Pool.

Instead, the consultants suggest taking the three regional pools into government control could be beneficial.

While stating this is a must for the Southern Pool to survive, the review says the sites could create a single brand, membership for all three facilities and share resources such as teachers and lifeguards, if they were brought under government control.

It adds that given the Douglas-centric nature of decision making, there could be rationale for retaining input from regional boards if the pools were taken over by central government.

KKP also found there is scope for the regional pools, as well as the NSC, to increase income from learn to swim programmes, and to make savings by better managing their utilities consumption.

The report has been published ahead of being laid at the January sitting of Tynwald.

Education Minister Julie Edge will ask Tynwald to approve a costing exercise into the transfer of regional pools into her department's ownership - creating 'Regional Sports Hubs'.

Manx Radio approached government for comment, which says: 'As the review will be informing a debate around the Regional Pools Strategic Plan, it would be inappropriate to comment ahead of the sitting.'