Splashdown – paddling pools are now open!

Published: 9 June 2021

Exeter’s paddling pools are open once again!

The paddling pools at Heavitree Pleasure Grounds and the Splash Pad at St Thomas Pleasure Grounds reopened this morning (Wednesday 9 June) at 10am.

Both facilities didn’t open up last year due to the corona virus pandemic.

Cllr David Harvey, Lead Councillor for City Management, said that work had been carried out on both sites, the pools had been freshened up and were now ready for the summer.

“We delighted to have these outdoor water parks up and running and can’t wait to see children enjoying them once again. It’s been a while,” he said.

The Council was forced to close the facilities last year because of covid-19. However government guidance allowed outdoor pools to reopen from 29 March and a set of precautions has been put in place to minimise the risk of transmission.

Both sites will be restricted to 15 individuals at a time, with only one parent from each family. No food or drink should be consumed on site and there will be a time limit of one hour at a time, in keeping with play areas. This will allow as many individuals to enjoy the facilities as possible.

The sites will be regularly monitored for water chemistry purposes to ensure chlorine and PH levels are appropriate.

Cllr Harvey added: “We are doing everything possible to ensure the pools are safe to use but we would ask people to continue to respect ongoing government restrictions and social distancing guidance. It is for their own benefit.”

Parents are being advised that whilst the Council take reasonable steps to ensure that facilities are safe to use, it cannot eliminate the risk of the virus entirely and parents must take their own measures to minimise or eliminate the risk both to those in their care and other users of the facility.