Community come together to reopen Ladies' Pool diving platform in Guernsey following safety concerns
A popular free outdoor diving platform in Guernsey will reopen to the public this weekend following months of public pressure.
The board, installed in the 1920s at La Vallette Bathing Pools, was closed and due to be removed in February after it failed a health and safety assessment.
Hundreds of local people came out to protest the decision and stood around Ladies' Pool, leading the Government to pause its removal.
Officials said the necessary changes to increase the water depth and stop leaks would cost £1 million and even then, the area would need to be supervised at all times.
Since then, politicians have worked with the community, businesses and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to find a solution.
A large amount of silt, rubble and bedrock has been cleared to increase the pool's depth to 3.5 metres around the platform - above the minimum 3.2-metre clearance required by World Aquatics and British Standards.
Adrian Sarchet is part of the working group to reopen the platform and adds: "We should all feel blessed to live in a place where magic like this can happen.
"The community spoke, government listened, and local business facilitated a solution largely for free.
"The cast of faces that has made this happen is too large to thank individually here, but each and every one of you has my thanks."
The States says further safety improvements will be made over the summer, including better steps and non-slip surfaces, leading to sign-off from the HSE to reopen it straight away for public use.
Infrastructure Committee President, Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, explains: "This has been a fantastic example of Guernsey's incredible community spirit ... As a keen swimmer myself, it's brilliant that we can now continue to enjoy this feature of our wonderful bathing pools."
Want the inside track on the key issues that will shape Guernsey's Election this June? Listen to Guernsey Votes, an ITV Channel podcast packed with expert guests, local insight and analysis you can trust...
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