Users complain about poor condition of Costa del Sol town's indoor pool facilities

The controversy continues about the changes introduced in recent months in the municipal sports classes in Vélez-Málaga on the eastern Costa del Sol, in particular with swimming, spinning and padel, among others, and the state of the facilities of the indoor swimming pool.

A group of around thirty residents, mostly retirees, protested on Tuesday 21 January outside the town hall about "the low temperatures", the lack of hot water and the "shortage" of instructors for the therapeutic swimming classes.

The opposition socialist PSOE group supports the complaints from users "about the poor conditions of the sports facilities, while the new councillor for sports, Manuel Gutiérrez, focuses on increasing fees instead of solving the problems," they have said.

The socialist spokesperson, Víctor González, has spoken of the "worrying situation of sport in Vélez-Málaga". Accompanied by users of the indoor pool, González criticised "the lack of attention to the facilities and the needs of those who use them". He went on to say, "Once again we are denouncing the situation of sport in Vélez-Málaga. We have given many press conferences and presented motions" in town hall meetings, "but the situation is not improving", he said.

González has asked Gutiérrez, who took up the post recently after the "cover-up" reshuffle by mayor Jesús Lupiáñez at Christmas, to "get involved and look for real solutions for the citizens instead of choosing to raise sports fees as his first measure".

Users have shared their experience of the deficiencies of the facilities. They have denounced "problems such as the low presence of instructors, deficiencies in heating, humidity and the lack of maintenance of bathrooms and showers. The facilities are not clean. People are cold and there is no constant hot water," was the message from protesters on Tuesday. They claim that the situation is "denying citizens a good service" and "putting at risk the health of those who do sport under medical prescription".

González pointed out that it is "unacceptable" that elderly people, who used to use the small pool which was closed due to lack of staff, are now forced to move to the large pool, where it is much more difficult for them to do their physical activity, The spokesman for the Andalucía por Sí municipal group in the opposition, José Pino, echoed these complaints a few weeks ago.

With the intention of tackling these problems in a constructive way, the PSOE will present a motion at the next extraordinary council meeting. "We want effective solutions. People don't want more problems; they need answers," concluded González. The PSOE has reaffirmed its "commitment to support the users of sports facilities" and has advocated for "the improvement of conditions so that everyone can do sport safely and efficiently in Vélez-Málaga".

Last October, when the complaints from users and politicians began, the then councillor for sports, Rocío Ruiz, claimed that the number of users of the sports facilities had increased by 36 per cent in the last year. The councillor defended the changes introduced in the area despite complaints from residents about the lack of instructors in some specialities and the increase in ratios. However, Pino refuted this data and showed documentation showing a drop in the number of users over the last year.

Councillor for sports Manuel Gutiérrez guaranteed on Wednesday that "the maintenance and cleaning work carried out on a daily basis both for the water and heating and in the complex comply with all the regulations and controls required by the Junta de Andalucía and the competent authorities in terms of swimming pools and sports infrastructures".

In relation to the problem of water temperature and heating in the sports complex, he was categorical: "This is an inheritance from 1993, these facilities are more than 30 years old and from the department we will solve the situation in the pool." He went on to say, "We are aware of the problem of cold and this councillor is committed to include in the next budget the corresponding investment to put a new boiler so that our users can enjoy the facilities in perfect condition."

Gutiérrez emphasised the work that has been carried out by the town hall since the beginning of the term of office to offer facilities "in perfect condition for use" and rejected the opinion that the facility is in a poor state, which he said only generates "alarm and unjustified discomfort" in the residents who attend their sessions and activities every day.

Gutiérrez called for "a little patience" and announced that his department has "visualised the problem" and that "we will put all our efforts to solve it". He concluded, "I just need you to give us a little time so that we can continue with the projects we are working on and have planned."

The councillor described González's attitude as "regrettable and mean, especially coming from a person who has never set foot in a sports facility," and who "decides to lie about the state of the pool to get a handful of votes". Gutiérrez has accused the socialist councillor of "deceiving" people about the increase in fees. "He has made it up," Gutiérrez said.

He emphasised the controls to which the facilities are subjected and the control and treatment of the water, complying with "all the quality standards" and added, "Two samples are taken every day for analysis and a meticulous work of maintenance and control of the water in different aspects such as temperature, humidity, chlorine and other standards."

The councillor also commented on the information regarding the heating system of the indoor swimming pool. In this respect, the councillor called for "responsibility" on an issue that "predates our arrival". With regard to both water temperature and air conditioning, Gutiérrez pointed out that the pool has an obsolete system with a very old boiler and two dehumidifying machines, which "are not strong enough to supply hot water to all the facilities".

The councillor said that work is already underway, as shown by the fact that a new fan has been requested to be installed in the dehumidifier to replace the one that had broken down, which supplies hot air to improve the heat conditions in the pool. However, Gutiérrez made it clear that "the boiler and the two existing dehumidifying machines are insufficient to generate the flow of hot air and reduce the humidity in its entirety".

Although this new fan will be available "in the next few weeks", he reported the need to acquire a new boiler and a dehumidifying machine to alleviate the temperature situation in the complex, something that "should have been resolved at the time, in the years before our arrival". However, Gutiérrez has clarified that "we are already working and trying to make progress on this proposal".

The councillor has asked pool users to "be very calm", clarifying that "each and every one of the required standards of maintenance and cleanliness are being met", and assured users that "there is no reason for alarm".

Currently, according to the councillor, a team of four pool maintenance officers monitor the state of the water and carry out the necessary interventions and troubleshooting at the indoor pool facilities in Velez-Malaga. "We have not received a single complaint from users in all this time,"he said.

To conclude, Gutiérrez has thanked the "excellent work" that instructors, technicians, operators and members of the municipal maintenance and cleaning service have been doing, who "work every day from morning to night so that the conditions for the residents are the best and their dedication cannot be questioned". The councillor is very clear that he will follow the path that his colleague Rocío Ruiz has taken "and in two and a half years Velez sport will be where it deserves to be".