Much-loved Yorkshire paddling pool to remain closed, says council

The paddling pool at Greenhead Park will remain closed for the foreseeable future, Kirklees Council has confirmed. Last July, the council said the pool would be ‘opening soon.’ However, this brief moment of delight for residents was dashed when an announcement was made a few weeks later telling of how the pool had failed a number of tests.

The ‘system testing’ was a legal requirement and also needed because the pool had been closed for two years. After failing these tests, the council remains in the same predicament – unable to re-open the much-loved pool.

When asked whether the pool would be opening this year, Graham West, service director for highways and streetscene at the council said: “The paddling pool at Greenhead Park, Huddersfield will remain closed in its current format whilst options are explored for its future, this follows extensive testing of the water and filtration systems last year which concluded that the pool would not meet current water safety standards.”

Last year, the hosepipe ban that came into effect on August 26, was also said to be a factor hampering the re-opening of the pool. On top of this, drought status was declared by the Environment Agency.

Upon seeing the pool empty in the peak of summer, former Lib Dem councillor Richard Eastwood said he was ‘dismayed’ and spoke fondly of his memories of maintaining the pool as a student during the summer holidays.

He said: “As a student worker we were given a whole manner of jobs to do and help with by foreman Bill Stynes. Daily litter picks, general gardening duties, erecting temporary fencing, cleaning up graffiti, cleaning out the paddling pool and if we were lucky the odd trip out with the mobile gang.

“Cleaning the paddling pool was no easy/quick task. Draining it took quite a while and then we had to clear the gunge and rubbish and hose the pool down. Then open the valves to fill it back up again.

“The paddling pool is a jewel in Greenhead Park’s crown and I do not understand why the required repairs have not been done at some point particularly since COVID restrictions were lifted. I would call on all the three Greenhead ward councillors, all past and or present Cabinet members, to pull their collective finger out and get it sorted.”