‘Putting a no diving sign in place will not be adequate’
PEOPLE have been urged to keep off the diving platform at the bathing pools while efforts continue to try to save it.
The Environment & Infrastructure Committee repeated yesterday that it was looking at all options.
But it said that simply posting a safety warning at the site would not be enough.
E&I president Lindsay de Sausmarez yesterday responding to a number of issues raised and ideas being put forward to try to resolve the issue over the safety of the platform.
It was only revealed on Friday that the board was set to be removed today, after the Health & Safety Executive served a prohibition notice on E&I over concerns about the depth of the pool and height of the board not meeting the correct safety standards.
The removal was halted after around 300 islanders gathered at the pool on Sunday to protest, and there have been numerous offers of help.
A committee including protest organisers Adrian Sarchet and Mark Torode has now been formed to provide an independent assessment of potential solutions.
But Deputy de Sausmarez feared that the extra time to look at options could increase the risks of injury.
‘We need to ensure that people do not use the platform in the meantime,’ she said.
‘Unfortunately, simply putting a “no diving” sign in place would not be adequate to improve safety, and neither would it remove the liability from the States. That was of course the first option we explored.
‘In its role as landlord, the committee has explored a wide range of options to determine how the removal of the platform can be avoided, but thanks to the offers of help and support, new avenues have potentially now become available.
‘We will use this additional time to work with community representatives to ensure all viable alternatives are fully examined. As a keen swimmer myself, I’m extremely keen – like so many others – to find a solution that will mean the diving platform can remain in place for people to safely enjoy.’
Deputy Mark Helyar has been particularly vocal in opposing the removal of the board.
He suggested that a licence to return the washed-over stones from the pool to the sea may require a licence from the Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation.
But Deputy de Sausmarez denied this.
‘While a licence is required under law for depositing quantities of debris using diggers or other vehicles from the pool onto the seabed, it’s a straightforward process that has never proved to be a barrier previously, such as when the Ladies’ Pool was renovated in 2022,’ she said.
She thanked the protest organisers and everyone who had offered to help.
‘None of us want to see the platform removed unless it is absolutely necessary,’ she said.
‘However, we recognise that we have a responsibility to act with urgency in response to the matters that the prohibition notice has raised.’
