Last week’s full council meeting saw cross-party support for a £5 million redevelopment of Splashes Sports Centre, with caution urged by the Labour and Co-operative Group.

Whilst the Labour group welcomed the modernisation and refurbishment of the leisure facilities, regeneration spokesperson Andy Stamp questioned the timing of the spend amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and the practicalities of this financial commitment amidst current public health guidelines.

Cllr Andy Stamp, Medway Labour and Co-operative Group spokesperson for Regeneration said “On balance I support this spend as refurbishment for the centre is clearly overdue, with the October 2016 Norovirus outbreak leading to a number of negative feedback concerning the general standards of maintenance and facilities on the site.

“However with this in mind, the timing of this proposal is also not without risk; of all the leisure activities to do in the midst of a global pandemic, I would suggest that swimming in a busy, heated indoor swimming pool would not be on top of the priority list.

“Similarly, I’m disappointed to hear that the Strand Open Air swimming pool will not be opening this year, despite the fact that it would be easier to operate more safely than any of the Council’s indoor pools in the current circumstances.

“The project board tasked with overseeing the project must be open and transparent; there cannot be any cost-overruns; a broader mix of income streams for the new centre is needed to spread the financial risk; the design of the new sports centre must be as energy efficient as possible to minimise the costs of running the pool.

“The project board tasked with overseeing the project must be open and transparent; there cannot be any cost-overruns; a broader mix of income streams for the new centre is needed to spread the financial risk; the design of the new sports centre must be as energy efficient as possible to minimise the costs of running the pool.”

“I’m pleased to see the much-needed investment into this facility, however the Labour group urge caution with a financial spend of this magnitude. The Council simply cannot afford to create a white elephant for the next 25 years.”