Education provides £12.5k towards indoor pool costs

The pool and gym is due to be built at the site of an outdoor learner pool at St Anne's School and will be available for use by pupils and the public.

Education already pays that sum annually towards heating and maintenance of the current pool. It will be index-linked and guaranteed for at least five years.

According to the business plan drawn up by trustees, the pool will cost £500,000 to build and £24,500 annually to run.

Project trustee Jane Aireton, who is responsible for fundraising, called the funding decision 'nearly the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle'. 'We have nearly achieved our fundraising target for the construction costs and with this confirmation from Guernsey about running costs we are now fully confident that the facility will pay for itself without any further burden on the taxpayer,' she said.

Just £31,500 is left to raise and trustees hope to start work on the pool before Christmas.

Subject to formal resolution, the States of Alderney has agreed to match funding for every pound raised by the public up to a maximum of £250,000.

But some residents are calling for questions about the project to be addressed before the money is allocated and work commences.

Martin Lunn, caretaker of the existing pool, said he had written to the States to ask that a public meeting between residents, States members and project trustees be convened to address concerns. Mr Lunn said he had doubts over whether the pool would be financially sustainable in the long term and that he was concerned that a valuable facility was being thrown away.

'Put simply, I don't think there are enough people on the island to sustain it,' he said. 'The existing facility is not adequate but it can be used to teach children to swim up until Year 6 and from then on they go sea swimming. My principal concern is that if it goes bust we will have demolished the learner pool and children will be left with nothing to use.'

Pool trustee Rod Paris is due to meet school staff to address any concerns they might have. He said raising the extra £12,000 for running costs should be 'easily manageable'.

He added: 'If the public would like a meeting to voice their concerns I would be delighted to address them or they can write to me at swimalderney@gmail.com and we will listen and if appropriate modify our plans.'