CANVEY Island’s sea water swimming pool could be saved.
Castle Point Council wants to close down the pool but has met with hostile opposition from local residents, many of whom are planning to take part in a protest march on Saturday.
However, after a meeting of the Council’s Canvey Island Sea Water Pools Working Party on Wednesday evening Castle Point councillors and Canvey Town councillors considered specialist health and safety advice commissioned jointly by the two councils.
The Town Council has offered to take over responsibility for the pool on Canvey Sea Front.
The Borough Council has now offered to transfer responsibility for the day to day management and operation of the old sea water pool and beach area to the Town Council as part of an agreement between the two Councils to promote and enhance the Concord Beach area.
Subject to the formal endorsement of the transfer by the Town Council, work will commence on an agreement setting out the responsibilities of each party. As part of the agreement the Borough Council will ensure the pool satisfies the physical requirements of the specialist health and safety report on transfer to the Town Council.
The Town Council has been asked to respond to this offer by the end of September.
The new sea water pool immediately adjacent to the Concord Café is not part of this agreement - the Borough Council is to ask its Community Policy Development Group to re - examine the new sea water pool and come forward with proposals.
The Deputy Leader of Castle Point Borough Council – Cllr Jeffrey Stanley and the Chairman of the Working Party said: “We have listened to residents and all those anxious to preserve the future of the pool. I am delighted that it has been possible to identify a solution which I am sure will be warmly welcomed by residents.”