Asbestos find puts back work at pool by 13 weeks

THE massive revamp of the Royal Commonwealth Pool is set to fall more than three months behind schedule but will remain on budget, the city council insisted today.

The discovery of larger than expected quantities of asbestos in the A-listed 1960s building has meant contractors have been granted a 13-week extension to the work, which is due for completion in late 2011.

While it remains within its 37.1 million budget, the project still faces a funding gap of around 2m because of the plummeting value of two other council properties being sold off to pay for it.

An update on the project came as the Evening News was granted the first look inside the building, where work has been under way since August.

Due to reopen to the public early in 2012, the pool is expected to be used for diving events as part of Glasgow's 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The refurbishment of the building, which includes fitting solar panels to the roof to heat the showers and the water in the pool, is currently nearing the end of the demolition and temporary works phases.

Councillor Deidre Brock, the council's culture and leisure convener, said: "As the Royal Commonwealth Pool is a 1960s building, it was anticipated significant quantities of asbestos would be found within the structure, and the most intrusive surveys possible were carried out.

"These, however, could ultimately only be indicative and, disappointingly, contractors have uncovered considerably more than was predicted.

"The refurbishment remains on-budget thanks to value engineering and the securing of additional grants. Further updates will be brought forward in due course to keep everyone informed of how things are progressing."

The 2m funding gap remains due to the amount of money the council expects to receive from the sale of Leith Waterworld and City Park, the former home of Spartans FC.

Paul McBurney, project manager at Graham Construction, said: "We are working very closely with the council, designers and our contractors to ensure we deliver a world-class facility for the people of Edinburgh."

The major overhaul includes the introduction of moving floors in all the pools to adjust the depth.

The main 50-metre swimming pool is also due to be extended by 1.5 metres and will have a special boom so that it can be split into two 25-metre pools.

The diving area will have four platforms up to ten metres high, plus two temporary springboards, and a "dry dive" training area.