Old pool 'eyesore' to be demolished

A life guard at the old Patea pool. Photo / APN

The old Patea swimming pool on Stafford St is to be demolished.

Patea Community Board chairman Brian Rook said the new $1.3 million pool opened a year ago had been a huge success for the community and people travelling through the town.

"The old pool has just become an eyesore and we sure don't need another eyesore in Patea."

The demolition will cost the South Taranaki District Council $25,000 with work starting this month.

It will be completed by January.

The council was waiting on a demolition contract permit, Mr Rook said.

The demolition and tidy-up was being carried out not only because the building was an eyesore but it was considered a danger to young people and a target for vandalism, he said.

All existing buildings will be demolished and the fences taken down, with the iron and timber recycled.

Left-over concrete would be broken up and pushed into the old pool as fill.

Mr Rook said he had many happy memories as a kid in Patea spending days at the old pool.

"There'd be a few locals with good memories of good times at the old pool."

But these days the locals have labelled the old pool on the hill "the blue Gulag".

"Yes it's time it went. It's not a good look anymore.

"It was built in 1959 and is well past its use-by."