The announced closure of the De Otter swimming pool in Uithoorn is causing unrest and concerns among parents of children who take swimming lessons there. They wonder, among other things, whether they will be compensated, and where and when their children can continue their swimming lessons. “The waiting lists are already so long.”
Owner and manager Remko Smit announced yesterday the website and Facebook page van De Otter says that the swimming pool will close after 22 years. Game-breakers are the corona measures and the sky-high gas price, he writes. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce that we will be open for the last time on Sunday 8 May.”
Because the gas price has exploded, partly due to the war in Ukraine, the swimming pool is making a loss. “But that was actually the case before that,” says Smit, referring to the corona crisis. During lockdowns, the swimming pool was closed, outside the lockdowns strict measures applied.
Sauna
And even before the corona crisis, the bath could not keep its head above water on its own. The fact that it was still open for 22 years is mainly due to the success of the adjacent sauna, says Smit. Just like the swimming pool, the sauna falls under his company Aqua Uithoorn BV.
Nowadays the pool is mainly used for instruction and lesson swimming, and hardly for recreational swimming. “The water should be around thirty degrees,” says Smit about the energy requirement of the bath. “And so does the air above it, otherwise it will vaporize.”
“We are very happy with that, because they also lost their jobs after the closure”
Lower the heating a few degrees or pass the costs on to the parents: as a ‘real pool man’, he has looked at all scenarios and has come to the conclusion that closure is the only option. “We are an ordinary company, we do not receive any subsidy,” he emphasizes.
Hardly anyone will dispute that the current gas price is high. It is possible that the swimming pool closes for that reason. In the New Meerbode of January 12, 2022 mention is made of an application submitted for an environmental permit that is intended to make housing possible on the location of De Otter.
The closure mainly affects the children who take swimming lessons there. “That’s about seven hundred,” says Smit. And that presents a logistical challenge, because part of the exams for the A or B or C diploma are in the swimming pool agenda after the announced closing date.
“We have scheduled extra moments”, Smit explains how he wants to try to get as many children as possible to swim at the right level. He has also found instructors willing to work extra hours for this. “We are very happy with that, because they also lost their jobs after the closure.”
“Swimming in 14 lessons? As parents, we don’t think that is responsible”
Parents can make a plan of action with their child’s swimming instructor this week, according to the site. Furthermore, the swimming pool advises parents to take into account that lessons take longer than usual until the exam.
Concerns and questions
Despite this, many parents still have concerns and questions. Among them is Jacqueline. Her 5-year-old daughter is taking swimming lessons in the pool, but according to her, she is far from ready for the exam for her A diploma. “She still swims with a band,” says Jacqueline.
Jacqueline sees nothing in the ambition of the swimming pool to have as many children as possible – including her daughter – swim before it closes. “That is still seven weeks, with two lessons a week that is still fourteen lessons,” she calculates. “And then she can swim off? As parents, we don’t think that is responsible.”
In addition, Jacqueline has bought a package for the A and B diploma, but her daughter can only get her A diploma at the Otter. “How are they going to compensate for that?” she wonders aloud. Another mother says on Facebook that she ‘just paid 940 euros for a package with A, B and C diploma’.
“We live here with a lot of water nearby”
Jacqueline is satisfied with the swimming lessons, but she is annoyed that the swimming pool has not personally informed her of the closure. An email would have been enough for her. “If all goes well, they have that data, now it comes raw on our roof. You are a customer, right?”
She was even willing to pay extra to cut the pool’s energy bill, she says. “We live here with a lot of water nearby,” she emphasizes the importance of accessible swimming lessons. “Help, summer is coming!”
After the closure, her daughter will probably be able to go to the waterlily swimming pool in Aalsmeer, she says. “It’s doable for us, but it will be different for some kids.”
Waiting list
Esther from Uithoorn also thinks it is far too ambitious to have her daughter swim before May 8th. “She started four months ago, and there is about a year for the A diploma.”
She hopes that her daughter can continue quickly at the Water Lily, but fears that she will end up on a long waiting list, just like with the Otter. “And kids relapse if they don’t swim for a while.” She therefore believes that the municipality should at least temporarily keep the swimming pool upright with a subsidy. “For all children who are now being taught and children who are on the waiting list.”
Appeal to municipality
Esther is not the only one who appeals to the municipality. Under the Facebook post about the closure, many parents allude to municipal subsidies. “Hopefully the municipality can still mean something. Swimming lessons remain super important for children,” writes a woman. Another immediately calls on the municipality to take action: “Dear Uithoorn municipality, do something about this.”
The municipality says in a press release that it cannot mean anything. “The municipality understands the call from the residents for swimming lessons in Uithoorn, but emphasized that this is a decision by a private entrepreneur. There are no options to keep the swimming pool open with a subsidy scheme.”
The swimming pool could not be reached tonight for comment on criticism about the communication about the closure to parents.