Scrapping Fort swimming pool to cost £3.5million

Wednesday 29 November 2017

Demolishing Fort Regent’s asbestos-ridden cable car and swimming pool complex will cost more than £3million, it has been confirmed.

Plans to remove the former tourist hub’s redundant buildings and structures were put forward in September, following years of discussion within the States and concerns raised over children illegally entering the boarded up premises.

Now figures released under the Freedom of Information (FOI) law have shown exactly how much that demolition process will cost if the Planning Application is approved.

The estimated total cost of removing the swimming pool building is expected to be in the region of £3.5million.

Pictured: The island's skyline could be set to change quite dramatically if plans to demolish the Fort's swimming pool and cable car complexes are approved. (BDK Architects)

Nearly a third of that total – approximately £1.275million – will be spent on asbestos removal.

The Fort’s cable car area has been closed to public use for nearly 25 years, while swimmers took their final dunk in the complex’s swimming pool in 2003.

Since then, efforts have been made to secure the site in a bid to keep out intruders and protect members of the public from the health risks associated with asbestos in the building. This has included erecting scaffolding around the pool.

In the last year alone, the FOI response showed that £7,128 had been incurred in securing restricted areas.

Pictured: A teenager was caught on video earlier this year climbing in the former cable car station - an area known to contain the hazardous substance, asbestos.

CCTV is also due to be fitted, which will incur installation costs in the region of £13,000.

Planning officials are still yet to come to a conclusion on the application, which received just four objections from members of the public.

Speaking at the time the plans were submitted, Minister for Infrastructure Deputy Eddie Noel commented that removing the structures would be in the “best interests of the island.” 

A decision on the site’s fate is expected in the near future.