ARCHIVED - Mazarron opens 1.4 million euro summer swimming pool
In spite of having more than 30 fabulous beaches and no indoor pool, Mazarrón council has spent 1.4 million euros on a new open-air swimming pool
The Mayor of Mazarrón, Gaspar Miras, and regional Minister for Presidency, Tourism and Sports, Marcos Ortuño, have officially inaugurated the new open-air municipal swimming pool located in the Media Legua Sports Complex, which lies half-way between Mazarrón town and Puerto de Mazarrón.
The new structure comprises two pools; the main pool measures 25 x 16.5 meters and a secondary teaching pool measuring 16.4 x 6 meters; there is also a building housing changing rooms, with lobby, reception, first-aid infirmary, several changing rooms, toilets, warehouse and services room.
A structure has also been prepared to house a bar-cafeteria which in the future will service not only the swimming pool, but also the remaining facilities within the sports complex.
The council has spent 1,460,922.69 euros on the project.
The mayor said that "this pool is to alleviate the deficiency that we have been suffering in recent years.”
Although the pool will undoubtedly be put to good use by those participating in the swimming courses and summer camps being run for the young people of the municipality and will be used by dive schools for initiation courses, there has been criticism of the expenditure from some residents, at a loss to understand why the construction of another open-air pool was necessary when the municipality has 35 kilometres of coastline and dozens of pristine, nearly empty beaches.
The municipality still lacks an enclosed pool and residents must drive to neighbouring Alhama de Murcia, Cartagena or Fuente Álamo to use an indoor pool during the winter months. The indoor pool built by a previous administration has been a source of argument and embarrassment for the council ever since and remains structurally deficient and therefore out of use.
The mayor indicated that the council was aware of the historic demand for an indoor pool and said that this was a “commitment which we have already started to make a reality in the coming years ”, obviously depending on whether his council wins a second term in office at the next elections.