Leith Waterworld

Leith Waterworld was a leisure pool in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built on the site of the former Leith Central railway station. It was the only pool in Edinburgh with flumes, and there was also a fast river run. It was closed in January 2012 in order to save funds for the Royal Commonwealth Pool's renovation and re-opening. A campaigning group against the closure, called Splashback, were funded to carry out feasibility studies but the property has been converted into a children's soft-play centre.

History

The pool opened in 1992, and was then closed in November 1999 after problems were found including tiles coming away from walls, electrical problems and rusting structures. It reopened in 2002 and a new multisensory play area was introduced in 2003. Repairs were estimated to have cost £270,000. There were previous threats to close the pool to save money in 1997 and 2005.

On 22 December 2011 Edinburgh Council voted to close the pool. It closed on 8 January 2012. Campaigners continued to protest and lodged an official complaint against the closure. The closed pool became an issue in the Edinburgh 2012 elections, referenced at local hustings. In September 2012, Splashback's bid to reopen the facility was rejected and they were told to come back with a better submission. In May 2013 the decision was made to accept a proposal to redevelop the premises as a soft-play area. Splashback accused Edinburgh councillor Richard Lewis of breaking his word about reopening the pool. The Council leased the property to A & G Leith Limited who converted it, at a reported cost of £1.3 million, into a children's soft-play centre which is operated by Funzone Edinburgh Limited.

External links

• Official site
• City of Edinburgh Council
• Bella Caledonia
• Splashback campaign