Ashburton’s only public pool to shut in January

The 50-year-old Hampstead School pool will be the only public swimming option in Ashburton for a month in the height of summer.

The pools at Ashburton's EA Networks Centre will be shut down for maintenance for four weeks.

It will leave the Ashburton District Council without a public pool in the main urban centre following the permanent closure of the Tinwald Community pool earlier this year.

It is the first major shutdown since the centre opened in 2015 and to avoid a dry month, the council reached an agreement with Hampstead School for the EA Networks Centre to operate its pool for a month.

Centre manager Richard Wood said in planning the necessary maintenance shut down they had reached out to Hampstead School.

"Hampstead pool is the only remaining urban school pool, so it is the only option in terms of an urban swimming pool - should the EA Network Centre shut down."

January is traditionally a slow period at the aquatic centre so is the ideal time to do the maintenance required [that] can't be done in a few days, he said.

"The pools can be shut down individually … but in terms of the work that is required, we simply couldn't have the public in the pool area."

The deal to utilise Hampstead Pool includes an investment of up to $6000 as compensation for public access.

That money comes out of the EANC budget and will pay to upgrade the chlorinating system and balance tank cover at the unheated Hampstead Pool to lift the pool to a similar standard to other district pools, Wood said.

The upgrades will remain the property of the Hampstead School but any income from the pool, which has a capacity for around 100 swimmers, being open will be retained by EANC.

The operating hours will be set, but as the pool has no heating its opening will be subject to weather each day.

Councillors approved the pool partnership.

Councillor Carolyn Cameron said it was important to maintain the aquatic centre "given the investment it is, so I think this is a great solution".

Outside of Ashburton, five pools on council land are managed by community groups, at Hinds, Rakaia, Mt Somers, Ruapuna and Mayfield.

Seven other community pools in the district are not on council land and are managed by community groups - Willowby, Hampstead, Fairton, Dorie, Wakanui, Lauriston and Methven.

By Jonathan Leask, Local Democracy Reporter

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.