An estimated 350-400 people gathered at the Ladies’ Pool at La Vallette to show their support for a campaign to keep the last remaining diving board in place.
They heard from the Sea Donkey, Adrian Sarchet who told them that a plan is in place to try and save the board – but it is not yet a done deal.
The board had been due for removal on Tuesday, after a review by the Health and Safety Executive found that it failed to meet international standards for diving boards in public swimming pools.
However, discussions over the weekend between Mr Sarchet and fellow advocate and sea swimmer Mark Torode, members of the political committee for Environment and Infrastructure; including President Deputy Lindsey de Sausmarez, and the HSE, found a possible way forward to ensure the diving board can remain in place.
A committee is being formed, which both Mr Sarchet and Mr Torode will play a role in, to see if the board can be saved.
Progress will have to be quick though, the HSE only allowing a few additional weeks for any necessary changes to be agreed.
“I am hopeful,” said Mr Sarchet. “There is absolutely guarantee that we have necessarily saved it yet. The critical thing that we need to do is work proactively with government, with the Health and Safety Executive, to understand in detail what the problems are that we face and see if collectively we can come up with a solution for the benefit of Guernsey. A solution that satisfies all stakeholders, which represents a proportionately and reasonably safe environment but whilst retaining this beautiful and iconic piece of Guernsey’s heritage.”
Mr Torode added that they understand the need for a safe environment for everyone to use – but that it must be proportional.
“Life is all about balance. Every time you get on a pushbike and you ride from home in to town there are cars around you and you take that risk, in inverted commas. It is exactly the same down here.
“Without that risk we’re not living. You can survive but we need to live and we need to teach our kids about risk in a carefully managed environment. If they weren’t jumping off of the diving board at the Bathing Pools surrounded by countless other people, where would they be jumping off of? They’d be jumping off rocks at beaches, they’d be jumping off the wall at Havelet which is completely unregulated and very few people are there if anything were to go wrong.
“Mitigating the circumstances by having something like this is great, and each of my kids can remember the time that they first jumped off the board and they treasure that memory. It is important.”
The bathing pools fall under the remit of the Committee for E&I – meaning the political committee was aware of the issues around the diving board before the prohibition notice was made public on Friday.
E&I President Deputy de Sausmarez confirmed that the campaign to save the diving board has resulted in a stay of execution while a final decision is made about whether it can remain in place or be removed.
In the meantime, it shouldn’t be used – and chains have been placed on it to deter anyone from jumping off it.
“The prohibition notice is still in place and we are still legally required to comply with it, however I am hopeful that we may be able to find a way of complying with the HSE’s requirements without removing the platform itself,” said Deputy de Sausmarez.
She added, that work is already underway to see how it can be saved permanently.
“We have got a few more weeks to do that, so we haven’t got a lot of time, but we are wasting no time at all. We will be picking this up first thing (on Monday) morning with Adrian and Mark.
“They’re already on the case, we’re already on the case. We’re wasting no time over the weekend because we don’t have very long but I am certainly more hopeful than I was 48 hours ago that we could well find a solution that doesn’t involve removing the diving platform.”