Exeter Swimming Club welcomes redevelopment work to reopen Riverside pool
Published: 11 March 2021
Exeter Swimming Club has welcomed the redevelopment work at the Riverside pool and said it can’t wait to start using the facility again when it reopens this summer.
Members of the swimming club recently took part in a site visit to see the on-going redevelopment and have been able to provide an important input as it gets closer to completion.
The club has been in regular contact with the Council over the past couple of years, with both St Sidwell's Point under construction, and the ongoing refurbishment of Riverside pool, with a view to establishing and maintaining a positive relationship for the benefit of swimming in the city.
Having been in storage for the last couple of years, the club's race blocks will be installed permanently at Riverside, in order to give its competitive swimmers the best chance of success.
Exeter Swimming Club Chair Dean Drury, said: “It was fantastic to be able to see the work that has been done so far at Riverside and the plans for the remaining work in readiness for the reopening later this year.
“There are so many improvements that have been made and it will feel like a new pool. We are very grateful to Exeter City Council for allowing us to have a direct input at this important stage and to have that engagement to ensure that everything is right for the club when we return to training there.
“It goes without saying that we are over the moon to have now found a home for our start blocks and these being permanently installed at Riverside will help our swimmers practice their race starts on a regular basis, which will undoubtedly see them improve.
“Our visit allowed for one of our race blocks to be trialled in position poolside, to ensure the correct fixings could be put in place prior to any tiling being completed.”
Tim Webb, Leisure Contracts Manager for Exeter City Council, said: “It was great to have representatives from Exeter City Swimming Club at Riverside as the first outside visitors since its closure.
“We are pleased to be able to continue to forge a positive relationship with the city's swimming club. The redevelopment has been progressing really well, despite some delays due to the pandemic and we are right on track for reopening later this year. We believe that the improvements will make the pool a great environment for swimmers to enjoy both leisure and competitive swimming for years to come.”