Falkirk Council: Pool at Bo'ness Recreation Centre closed as water leaks into building

The entire building is already earmarked for closure on May 3 after it was deemed unfit for purpose.

However, today Falkirk Council announced it was closing the pool area with immediate effect to safeguard customers and staff.

There is no indication if the pool will reopen within the next two months before the centre is closed.

An independent structural engineer’s inspection carried out last Thursday has led to the pool closure decision, council officials said.

This follows on from an earlier building surveyor report presented to elected members in January 2024 highlighting the building was rated as a ‘D’ being categorised as “life expired and/or serious risk of imminent failure; risk of injury”.

Now external structural engineers have found significant deterioration in the pool’s structural integrity with their report stating that: “Water was observed to be seeping through the pool wall to the full perimeter of the ‘deep end’ of the pool, including the public corridor on the east side.

"It is recommended that the pool water be immediately drained down to remove load from the wall and that in the interim period, access within the plant room corridor is prohibited.”

Falkirk Council said that “at this stage, it is unclear how long the pool will be unusable”.

Head of Invest Falkirk, Paul Kettrick said: “It is unfortunate that we have had to close the pool, but customer and employee safety must come first.

“The report is clear in that it states the condition of some of the concrete is poor and that water is leaking at several points leading to the conclusion that we have to close the pool with immediate effect.”

The council added that staff have been informed and they will be in contact directly with customers who have scheduled bookings.

The earlier report identified urgent repair needs, including rewiring and electrical installations, new boilers, and addressing structural issues with the estimated cost for these works exceeding £4 million.

The council's report also highlighted that low numbers using Bo'ness Rec made it more expensive to run per head than either the Mariner Centre in Camelon or Grangemouth Sports Complex.