Marina's pool could be saved

20 December 2005 09:17

New plans have emerged that could yet save parts of Yarmouth's Marina Centre, including its swimming pool, in the short term.

Closure of the seafront facility - considered state-of-the-art when it was built in the 1980s but now suffering from years of under-investment - had looked an increasingly likely option after the continued stalling of management firm Leisure Connection to extend its contract that expires on March 31.

But Barry Stone, the borough council's Cabinet member for the economy, last night revealed that the authority was now investigating the possibility of keeping parts of the centre open - and running it itself.

He stressed that at this stage the plan remained just an option, and a decision was likely to be taken by the Cabinet at a special meeting next month.

The council has so far refused to agree to the substantial increase in management fee being demanded by Leisure Connection, or indeed other possible operators.

Borough economic director Mark Barrow told the EDP earlier this month he had been talking to US and European leisure developers about a massive seafront redevelopment to give Yarmouth a top-drawer attraction - an all-weather water park or theme park being two ideas considered.

Mr Stone said: "Any large-scale development would not take place overnight, and keeping parts of the Marina Centre open would have the advantage that we would avoid having a major attraction boarded up for a considerable period."

He stressed that by running the centre itself, the council would keep the flexibility of being able to close it as soon as any redevelopment was possible.

Labour group leader Mick Castle said the possible new plan smacked of "make do and mend" and said the future of the Marina Centre should have been high on the agenda three or four years ago.

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