‘Rigorous’ pools probe approved

A “THOROUGH and “rigorous” investigation will be carried out into the failures at Dundee’s Olympia centre after councillors backed plans for an independent probe.

Members of Dundee City Council’s city governance committee approved a motion put forward by council leader John Alexander when they met yesterday.

The approval means the local authority will now seek an independent expert to engage with the body that runs the facility – Leisure and Culture Dundee – to understand the problems that led to its most recent closure.

It comes after Olympia bosses could not confirm a reopening date for the leisure and toddler pools, which were closed to the public in February after a support beam detached from a flume structure and fell close to swimmers below.

The latest failure came just months after the facility reopened to the public following a two-year closure.

During that time, more than £6 million was spent by the local authority in an attempt to rectify a series of safety issues – including corrosion on the flumes and problems with light fittings.

The SNP administration at the city council had initially resisted calls for a probe into the beleaguered facility.

However, Mr Alexander caved in March following growing public pressure.

The inquiry will focus on the background leading to the Olympia’s most recent closure, with the results being brought back to the city governance committee at a later date.

However, at yesterday’s committee meeting, Labour councillors raised concerns the proposed investigation did not go far enough.

And they called for further transparency – proposing an amendment that, if backed, would’ve extended the scope of the probe to include issues that led to the pool’s initial closure in 2021.

Councillor Kevin Keenan said: “I feel that (Mr Alexander’s) motion on this one doesn’t go far enough.

“I just feel that trying to limit (the probe) to looking back at what happened with the recent closure is not wide enough.

“We need to look at some of the issues that have led to that closure and continue to plague (the facility).

Councillors backed the motion by 19 votes to 10.

Councillors have backed plans for an independent investigation.