Concerns over Devil's Point tidal pool repairs

RESIDENTS SAY IT'S JUST A 'STICKING PLASTER' APPROACH

- CARL EVE

WORK on the Firestone Bay tidal pool is finally underway, but some people have already raised concerns about the quality of the repairs, fearing it will just be a stop-gap.

As far back as November 2023 Plymouth City Council said it aimed to ensure the popular tidal pool, close to Devil’s Point, was made fit for purpose for years to come with a programme of repairs.

The pool sits beside Firestone Bay, which was designated an official bathing water site, ensuring the water quality was regularly monitored by the Environment Agency, and has long been used as a paddling pool for youngsters.

However, the council recognised that its coastal position meant the structure of the pool was at risk from the elements. The aim was to strengthen the structural integrity of the pool through a combination of preformed and reinforced concrete with marine-grade stainless steel reinforcement.

The work was set to begin in early 2024 but this was delayed until June when the council said the work would take around 10 weeks due to weather issues and “land permissions” it said had “now been resolved”.

At that time the council said it hoped to keep the pool open as work was done to a damaged external wall, but that there may need to be closures as other work was carried out.

It added: “As the work is essentially blockwork, we are looking at options in the future to make it more attractive, such as a finish that allows for algae and other marine growth.”

But the work did not start in June and in late September the council again announced the repairs would “begin this week”.

In a statement on social media the council said: “We had hoped to get this work done earlier in the year, but because of a number of operational issues, this was not possible. The original plan was to complete the repairs without closing the pool but the results of a recent inspection mean that the pool will be closed with immediate effect.