Major design flaws

HAVING read councillor Oakley's defence of the proposed new pool, I am finally goaded to a response '“ my first ever letter to the Herald!

If you take the time to review the proposal (downloadable from the council website) you will immediately see a number of major flaws in the design, for instance, the enormous glass street frontage directly overlooking the learner and "competition" pools.

I seem to recall the Aquarena originally had large glass walls on the seafront side; they had to be bricked up due to vandalism, peeping toms and maintenance issues.

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The new "competition" pool is only six lanes and 3ft 6in deep throughout, barely adequate for galas, so long as there are no diving starts, and utterly useless for water polo.

It doesn't matter, anyway, as there is inadequate spectator seating provided.

The combination diving pit and learning pool should provide for interesting conflicts.

It is lovely that there will be a proper caf, albeit overlooking the main road rather than the splendid views out to sea.

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The creation of the hundreds of square metres of concrete outside of the main building with no good purpose will nicely match the large concrete desert so usefully created around the Pavilion Theatre area.

Insult to injury will be the loss of the tennis courts and part of Beach House grounds to make up for the lost parking presently incorporated in the Aquarena.

The loss of the well-used and free paddling pool is simply tragic. No effort or thought has gone into rectifying this.

As to the copper roof! I cannot begin to describe my contempt for the folly of such an outrageously-expensive embellishment to such a fundamentally poor design. I could go on but it would take too long.

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Suffice to say that as far as water sport is concerned, virtually everything about this design is a downgrade from what we have.

Councillor Oakley talks of "iconic" architecture.

The trouble is that form has taken precedence over function. We want a good swimming complex, not an architect's over- expensive egotistical "statement", particularly as this one is going to cost the residents of Worthing dearly for years to come.

There are many better designs that are much cheaper '“ try 12-14 million, not 17, and that actually deliver what they are supposed to.

Colin Flynn

Highdown Avenue

Worthing

NOTE: All letters must include a name and address.

Write in to Readers' Letters, Worthing Herald series, Cannon House, Chatsworth Road, Worthing, BN11 1NA, or email the Herald.

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