Club members running out of time in pool

ADAM PARFITT has been head coach at Portsmouth Northsea Swimming Club, based at the Mountbatten centre, since 2019.

He said: ‘We’ve grown out of pool time available to us. We’ll be at max capacity across the board.

‘The problem will come in the next couple of years — especially after the pandemic, we’ve got a lot of kids who are interested in swimming. As they progress through the club, we’re going to outgrow the lanes.

‘This is a big problem across the city, and it’s partly due to the pandemic.

‘We used to use time at Eastney, and they closed the Pyramids pool, so that limited pool time in the city.’

Portsmouth Northsea Swimming Club has around 400 competitive members, as well as 300 learners.

‘Swimming’s always been a big thing in Portsmouth. There will come a point where we will hit the ceiling and we’re not far off now,’ Adam added.

‘As coaches, we always talk about how talent can come from anywhere - it’s about giving as many people as possible the chance to take up the sport. The more opportunities people have the better.’

Adam also pointed out that the Mountbatten Centre’s 50m pool, built in 2009, has not been used to its full potential for the past two years due to issues with the moveable floor.

He said: ‘It’s disappointing that we don’t have access to

50m training — we would have access to Olympic standard facilities.’

However, the coach also stresses that while he foresees issues in the future, the club is still taking members.

Adam added: ‘We’re not completely full, we’re open for business —it’s more looking at the future. It’s looking at 12-18 months down the line.’

There is wheelchair access to poolside at both Mountbatten and Charter sports centres, and pool hoists are present at both sites.

Visit bhliveactive.org.uk. A spokeswoman for Portsmouth City Council said: ‘Wimbledon Park Sports Centre remained closed when other sites reopened because its condition was deteriorating, and many of its users re-located to the Mountbatten Centre.

‘Eastney Swimming

Pool also stayed closed due to its deteriorating condition, but in this case the issues are much more serious. The roof structure is not safe, and the cost of replacing it would be in the millions.’

No decision has been taken on the future of the Eastney site, but the council says that its Seafront Masterplan identifies that this space ‘could accommodate a range of leisure-type uses’.