Families who have waited five years are concerned there will not be enough on offer for older children
RESIDENTS’ opinions are split over the long-awaited work to reopen Pentwyn Leisure Centre swimming pool.
Frustrated swimmers have been without a local pool since it closed during lockdown in March 2020, but workmen are now in the building to begin the refurbishment.
Work on a new 25-metre pool and a children’s wet play area has started but some are worried that, with the removal of the big slide, there is nothing to keep older kids interested.
Rhian Vernall, a member of the Save Pentwyn Leisure Centre campaign group, said: “I feel sad for all those older children who have been left without facilities for five years and now won’t have anything age appropriate to enjoy.
“I feel that the views of young people in this community have been ignored.”
Liberal Democrat councillors for the area launched a petition on February 7 to keep the Pentwyn Leisure Centre slide.
As of February 14, they said the petition had reached 364 signatures.
“The council said they would fix the slide at first. Now because of costs, it looks like they’re getting rid of the slide and will have a splash park, which wouldn’t appeal to older children,” said Councillor Joseph Carter.
“It’s already hard to engage young people, and removing the slide would not help.”
The council was approached for a comment but had not responded by the time of publication.
It’s not yet clear what will be in the Pentwyn wet play area, but facilities in other Cardiff pools include water jets and sprinklers, blasters, water tunnels, small slides and tipping buckets, designed to encourage interactive and social play.
Other residents are excited that the pool should reopen by the end of 2025.
Dylan Morgan, a father of two, said: “I’m just glad we’ll have somewhere close to take the kids. It’s been a long time since we had a pool here.
“My oldest was only two and the youngest wasn’t born when the pool was last open, and they’re both at school now.”
Work will also be done to improve energy efficiency, and the changing areas. The rest of the leisure centre will stay open throughout the work
