Alderman Ronald Klok (VVD) seems to make the door ajar for an outdoor swimming pool in Hoogeveen. At first it would not come to the new swimming pool to be built, because it would be too expensive. Now the subject seems to be negotiable again.
That became apparent on Thursday evening during the city council. Political parties were able to debate about what a modern bath should have. A slide and a competition pool are out of doubt, but a number of groups also want an outdoor pool and saunas.
“The next two weeks I want to think along, to find out if they don’t fit in the plans in one way or another,” says Klok. The intention is that the new swimming complex will open at the Bentinckspark-Noord in 2029.
The call for a swimming pool in the open air came from the PvdA, Gemeentebelangen and D66. They state that the greatest wish of Hoogeveners is an outdoor pool, but that it is therefore not responded to.
“Make sliding doors so that people can go outside from the inside,” responded Stan van Eck from the PvdA. “People can swim outside and lie on a beautiful lawn. We don’t go for a 6 with this swimming pool, we have to go for a 9.”
An outdoor pool is an expensive affair for Hoogeveen. Also in combination with a connection from the inside to the outside. “It is really not the first time that something like that has been devised, a good architect can make something like that,” said D66’er Marin Rutgers.
Municipal interests nodded in agreement with that ruling. A number of other parties, on the other hand, warn. They think it is wise not to want too much, because the construction of the swimming pool will cost more than thirty million.
For example, SGP person Dirk Schipper stated that construction costs of today have been taken into account. The bath must open in 2029, ultimately, according to Schipper, the costs could be even higher. “Are we estimating this well?”
He received support from the ChristenUnie and the VVD. Both parties argue for a swimming pool that has everything and stays within the budget. They therefore prefer a slightly sober variant of a new swimming complex.
Almost all parties were curious whether wellness and saunas are a possible. “The elderly can also benefit from this who suffer from their muscles,” said Aron Sieders of Gemeentebelangen.
It is remarkable that Vincent Vos from Forum for Democracy ran away from debate before it started. “An outdoor swimming pool, one or two slides, these are all the great promises of parties here to score well during the municipal elections. We are not participating in that.”
Those statements were not appreciated by the rest of the city council. “Apparently you can see in a glass ball what our election programs look like,” Snerde D66’er Rutgers. “Coarse this,” Koen Masters from the ChristenUnie supplemented.
Vos then walked out of the room. In a few weeks, the city council will continue to meet the swimming pool.