MP calls for confirmed paddling pools opening date

An MP has called for a council to confirm an exact opening date for popular outdoor paddling pools which he said had been closed for "two years and counting".

The facilities, at Victoria Park, Leamington Spa, and St Nicholas Park, Warwick, were shut for repairs in 2024 and were initially due to reopen in May 2025.

Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington, said he had asked Warwick District Council to confirm a definite opening date and for the pools to be open for the start of the school summer holidays.

The authority responded that the target for opening the pools remained the end of July and there was a chance the facilities could open earlier than this.

Problems with the upgrade works at Victoria Park meant the pool's reopening last July was short-lived and the facility was closed again due to "range of technical issues".

Western said he had spoken to several families at the park who were "frustrated" by the delays, particularly in recent hot weather.

The Labour MP said he had written to Green councillor Will Roberts, the authority's portfolio holder for neighbourhood, for the third time about the issue.

In a letter, he said many young families relied on the pools as a "free, local place for children to enjoy during the warm weather" and that the delay fell short "of the urgency the situation demanded".

He said to have the facilities "unusable" for the last two years was "simply not good enough".

"Residents are not asking much to be able to use a local amenity during this hot weather," Western added.

"I hope we will get a definite opening date, and families can finally enjoy the paddling pools again."

In a statement, the district council said Western had received regular updates from councillor Roberts over several months regarding the paddling pools.

"At the last council meeting, councillor Roberts confirmed in his update that the target for opening the pools was by the end of July, and we are pleased to confirm that this has not changed," a spokesperson added.

"There is even a chance that both pools might be opened earlier, and we hope to confirm this within the week."

Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.