Filey School’s ‘structurally unsafe’ former swimming pool proposed for demolition

The Coast and Vale Learning Trust has submitted a planning application for permission to demolish and restore the site of its former swimming pool which was closed in 2013 and has become “structurally unsafe”.

Michaela Dennis, the Trust’s chief operating officer said in a letter alongside the application that following the site’s closure, the pool was concreted in and most of the utilities had been capped.

Ms Dennis’ letter states that a “high level of asbestos” was discovered at the site and subsequently removed in April with the shell of the building and the steelworks remaining in place.

The Trust’s application states that the building, which serves no useful purpose, is not structurally safe and “poses a significant risk to the staff and students on-site”

If the council approves the plan, the demolition would take place over the six-week school summer holidays between July and September when few staff and no students are on site.

A licensed contractor would be engaged to remove the remaining fabric of the building and the steelwork and make the site safe.

The site would be cleared, leaving the base of the building which could support some storage and would be left as a flat base that can be used to create a small planting opportunity, according to the proposed plan.

The application states: “Once cleared, the foundations of the building will be examined with the intention of adding a mixture of outdoor storage and foliage to the area to make the area fit in with the open playgrounds.”

A site notice is displayed outside of the school site on highway sign poles by the side of the main road and on the public pathway.

The application, which is currently pending approval, was submitted to the council in May.