Riverside delayed again

No swimming for two years after fire

When a fire closed Exeter's Riverside Leisure Centre in February 2017, it wasn't too long before the gym and sports hall reopened. But the swimming pool has been out of action ever since. Now, just a month before its planned reopening, the council's announced a further delay. 

During a site visit this week, council leaders were told that a major health and safety risk would emerge if work continued on the roof. Structural engineers have only recently discovered this, even though it's 21 months since the blaze.

Labour council leader Pete Edwards says they understand that the safety of people working on the repairs is paramount and has apolgised to "all those who will be as upset at this news as we are." 

Councillor Phil Bialyk who is responsible for health and wellbeing, says ““I fully understand people’s frustration at the continued closure of the pool, and I share their frustrations. The team working on the repairs are doing their best to get the work finished and the centre fully reopened, and we can only hope that they are able to do so as quickly as possible.”

Structural engineers working on the pool repairs have discovered the roof is not designed for additional loadings, which have been added over the years, and work had to cease while full structural calculations were undertaken.

No new date has been set for the reopening, only a vague "early 2019".

Riverside was officially opened in 1986 by the Princess of Wales, under its then name, the Plaza, when it featured plastic palm trees and a wave machine.