End of era as Market Drayton pool remains closed

But councillors want the site to stay in the community's hands in future, even if it is in another guise.

The public pool, on Newtown Road. was closed on the hottest days last year and the previous year the opening hours of the pool were cut after visitor numbers had tailed off, according to managers of the venue.

Councillors are still working to save the site for community use if not the pool itself, with one representative saying the offering didn't make economic sense in the face of reduced budgets.

Roy Aldcroft said: "The last thing we want to do is spend £11,000 to keep the outdoor pool going for three or four months of the year, then it is closed for the other nine months.

"That doesn't make business sense and I am afraid that with no money in the kitty we do have to bear that in mind.

"I doubt very much whether that pool will be open this summer, but at this stage we are still examining the best option to give maximum use to that area.

"We could reopen the pool in its current form, costing a lot of money, but we couldn't guarantee that there would be a demand for that service.

"Another option is for it to reopen as a water play park, similar to the one at the Quarry Park in Shrewsbury.

"I am arranging for meetings with various groups over the next couple of months, including Serco. We are still working on this."

'Chronically underused'

Will Ellarby was a lifeguard at the site when it was open, and he said the pool didn't see enough use to be sustainable.

He said that the pool was "chronically underused" for years, leading to staff cuts and eventually closure.

He went on: "It requires three lifeguards to be paid all day for potentially not doing much, which isn't particularly cost effective.

"Lifeguards cost money, you need three additional guards to cover the outdoor pool. If no one's coming in, no one's going to want to pay for them. The permanent staff stopped being employed because it was underused."

People in Market Drayton have mourned the closures in previous years, and some residents say that if the outdoor poor was marketed more it could be a success.

Jim Kelly said: "With the right exposure that unique facility would be used by a population from a radius of 10 miles if they added a few facilities. A good advertising campaign will help to make a success of this unique facility."

Gemma Hughes said: "It’s such a shame it’s not being used. There is so much potential, why not get it sorted and open?

"The pool was always busy years ago before they added the indoor pool. They could also add a water area like Telford town park and Shrewsbury. No staff needed for this area and would be ideal for families."

Bathing used to go swimmingly

Market Drayton is a town with a long history of outdoor swimming, with memories of the town’s Olympic sized lido still very much alive.

The lido closed to the public in September 1994. It had been officially opened on Thursday, May 25, 1933, and was made possible by a legacy of £1,500 from the late Miss Amy Onions.

The water for the pool came from the River Tern above Tern Mill and down a pipeline.

It was considered locally to be one of the finest pools in the Midlands – and attracted hundreds of bathers.

Now, it appears, outdoor swimming is out of fashion and the current pool is likely to close because of lack of use.