Comment: Costly pool a boon for city

Feb 14 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

AT FIRST sight, the figures appear daunting: Liverpool’s long-awaited Olympic-sized swimming pool will cost £27m in interest and debt repayments over 20 years, leading to an annual bill of £10 for each household.

It means the final bill for the 50-metre pool at Picton Sports Centre will be more than £31m when the debt is finally repaid in 2028.

Not surprisingly, opposition councillors have seized on this latest revelation, saying the legacy of 2008 will be one of debt.

No-one should blame Labour for doing this. After all, that is their job – to oppose the ruling party.

However, on the principle that you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, on this occasion their outrage is misplaced.

Liverpool has been waiting decades for this world-class facility, and any major project – whether it be a new school, library, or community centre – will cost big money.

The new facility includes a moveable floor, meaning the eight-lane 50m pool can be split in two to cater for different groups.

Fitness studios and the gym at the centre have also been upgraded as part of the project.

It will cost about £800,000 in running costs to keep the new facility open, which is similar to the upkeep on the run down Victorian pool it replaces.

And, as Cllr Colin Eldridge, the executive member for leisure says, it is a "travesty" that the city’s team of international swimmers, including the likes of Olympic medallist Stephen Parry, have not been able to train in their home city and have faced a round trip of 70 miles a day to train.

It also means the city will be able to host major swimming championships, as well as providing a much-needed facility for schools and community groups.

There are many items which council tax payers probably resent paying for – but a state-of-the-art Olympic-sized swimming pool, which will be a considerable boon for the city, is likely to be the least of them.