Save  Arthur Hill Pool

Reading Borough Council has published a copy of a surveyors report on the condition of Arthur Hill pool which was prepared for the Council last year.

The report shows that the costs of urgent repair work at the pool are less than stated by the Council and, contrary to claims by some Labour councillors, does not recommend that the pool should be closed for safety reasons.

The survey report states that the overall condition of the building “is considered to be poor”, but nowhere does it say that the building should be closed down or that it is irreparable.  Although the report includes figures for the costs of making the necessary repairs, the Council has stated that these are confidential and cannot be released.

Although repair work will be needed quickly to deal with some of the pool's problems, and others will require monitoring, many of the repairs deal with longer term issues that could be put to one side if the pool is allowed to remain open until a new pool is built in Palmer Park.

In terms of major structural issues, the report says that remedial works to basement beams, temporary propping, and waterproof surfacing to the pool surround “has been effective”.  There were “no obvious signs” of water leaks from the roof, and the external condition of the roof “appeared good”.  The walls are of “solid construction” and are generally “in a satisfactory condition”.

Recently replaced flooring has “worn well” and the changing cubicles along the sides of the pool are in “satisfactory condition”.

Building heating systems are also in a satisfactory condition, but the boilers which heat the pool and the pumps which circulate water to the pool will soon require replacement, as will some of the pipework.

Although the surveyors say that the condition of the building will continue to deteriorate without remedial work, the rate of deterioration “is difficult to predict with any certainty” and further investigations would be necessary if it was intended to keep the pool open in the long term.

Some of the work suggested in the report – such as installing lights in the changing cubicles and replacing the rear car park fence – represent an upgrade to the pool to match modern standards but are not essential for keeping the pool operating

The report also observes that the majority of previous repairs conducted by Reading Borough Council at the pool had “failed to varying degrees”, possibly due to use of inappropriate repair materials  and  methods.

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You can download the documents by clicking on the attached files below.