A local county councillor has raised fresh concerns regarding the longevity of Tenby Leisure Centre’s swimming pool - after receiving alarming reports of lifeguards having to resort to ‘hand dosing’ chlorine as a temporary measure to keep the facility open.

Following the Ironman Wales event held over the weekend in Tenby and its surrounding area, Cllr Rhys Jordan, county councillor for St Mary Out Liberty (New Hedges) and St Florence wards has written to Pembrokeshire County Council’s cabinet member for residents' services, Cllr Rhys Sinnett asking for refocus to be put on the facility which is run by the Local Authority.

In correspondence sent to Cllr Sinnett as well as Tenby’s county councillor for the south ward, Cllr Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, Cllr Jordan stated: “I must start by reflecting on how spectacular Ironman 2023 was for our community. Witnessing roughly 3,000 swimmers taking on the challenge in near-perfect water conditions truly underscored the importance of water safety and the value of swimming in our area.

“With that in mind...the longevity of Tenby Swimming Pool is increasingly under threat. Over a year has passed since our last working group meeting, and the scant progress evident raises concerns about the genuine recognition of Tenby Swimming Pool's importance to the broader East Pembrokeshire community.

“Recently, the pool had to shut its doors for two days due to a malfunction in the dosing system. Alarmingly, I've heard reports that lifeguards have had to resort to ‘hand dosing’ chlorine as a temporary measure to keep the facility open! This is clearly not a sustainable or safe long-term solution,” continued Cllr Jordan, whose statement has also been sent to other county councillors for th locality.

Cllr Jordan went onto say that after discussions in full council, wherein he addressed the trust arrangements for the pool, he had expected the working group to reconvene promptly.

“However, with further correspondence from officers pointing towards updates, I'm left wondering about the group's real commitment to our community's aquatic needs,” he remarked.

“Cllr Skyrme-Blackhall, as the initiator of the Notice of Motion to form this group, and Cllr Sinnett, with your significant role as responsible cabinet member, I urge both of you to refocus on our shared goals.

“It's my sincere hope that, with the inspiration from events like Ironman, we can unite our efforts to rejuvenate and preserve this vital community asset,” added Cllr Jordan.