Council set to dip pool swimming costs

Westmeath County Council hopes to create a splash among swimmers by dipping some of its charges for use of the swimming pool in Mullingar.

Some charges will stay as they are, but a number of charges have been reduced, and swim-sauna packages are being introduced.

Details of the planned changes were outlined at last week’s Mullingar Town Council meeting on foot of a request by Cllr Aidan Davitt, who asked that the council review the charges for swimming and sauna use in Mullingar Swimming Pool, and “bring them into line with competition in Mullingar”.

The council response was that a marketing research report on the costs and swimming services at the pool had been completed, and as part of the research, the costs of using pools in surrounding counties had been examined, prior to preparation of a price comparison analysis.

Arising from that, a number of recommendations were made.

Set to be reduced are the pay-as-you-go swim charge for adults, which is to be decreased to €5; the sauna-only charge, which is reducing to €2.50; and lane swimming with coaching, reducing to €8.50.

Package options the council intends introducing are a new disability rate of €3; a family swim rate of €12 for two adults and two children, or €10 for one adult and three children; and a swim and sauna pay-as-you-go charge of €6.50.

Also coming are books of 10 swim-tickets at €45 for adults and €20 for children; seven-week OAP aqua aerobics packages at €35, and seven-week OAP swimming lessons at €35.

Set to remain are the current child and OAP rates of €2.60 per swim; the aqua aerobics seven-week package, which is €60; and the seven weeks of lessons for children, which costs €56.

Other recommendations are that under 2s go free; that a text message service be introduced; that lane swimming with adult lessons be introduced for Wednesday nights, and that another parent and toddler class be added to the weekend schedule, in the Saturday 1.15-1.45pm slot.

Cllr Davitt, speaking on his motion, reminded the executive that the swimming pool had been upgraded in 1995, and at the time, it had been anticipated that this upgrade would take the pool forward to 2000 – but that was 14 years ago.

He said the changes the council is proposing to make are forward-thinking.

Council official Declan Leonard told the meeting that the price changes have not yet been introduced, and that the intention is firstly to bring the proposals before the entire council.