The municipal swimming pool remains closed despite the summer temperatures, much to the annoyance of the locals, who have to make their way to Motril swimming pool or Salobreña beach for a quick dip.
The reason being is that poor maintenance has left the pool unserviceable – even the toilets are rusty!
According to the new municipal council, who have inherited this little “prezzie” from the previous tenant of the mayor’s office, there has not been any maintenance work carried out on the installations in the last year – not a sausage!
“If the swimming pool had been maintained as common sense dictates then the installations would be open today,” said the new Councillor for Lobres, Ricardo Ruiz.
A negative report was also filed by the health authorities on conditions at the premises, which the Town Council, who have only been in power for a month, are trying to put right.
Sr Ruiz also complains that the budget for the pool has ‘almost doubled,’ ascending from the original 470,000 euros to 756,000 euros, even so there are still outstanding bills to be paid.
Furthemore, the Town Hall is unable to provide a ‘beach bus’ for the Lobreños because the previous council had run up an unpaid bill with the bus company for 90,000 euros, he claims.
The previous council under the conservatives (PP), on the other hand, claims that one of their biggest achievements was precisely this swimming pool, which has won national and international prizes, says PP councillor, Juan de Dios Marquez. He considers that the report issued by the health authorities at the Junta de Andalucia is merely an excuse for not having the pool open and functioning, as it has been for the last three years from the end of June.
Lastly, he says that if the Town Hall wanted the pool open, they could do so because the negative report only contained ‘recommendations’ and minor faults such as not having a notice stating what the maximum occupation was and that the life-ring was lacking a rope.
Well, the fact of the matter is that while the politicians sling accusations at each other, the Lobreños have no alternative but to ‘sweat it out.’
(News: Lobres, Salobrena, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)