Town council to address Splash Pad ‘failings’ ahead of new season

Melksham Town Council will be looking into improving the efficiency of the Splash Pad after it was closed for a total of 44 days during this year’s season.

At the Facilities and Assets Committee meeting on Monday 15th September, councillors agreed to address a series of issues with the facility in King George V Park. This follows multiple closures this year, including a shutdown on 13th August due to an engineering fault, which kept the Splash Pad closed for the remainder of the summer holidays. Other issues included a faulty new floor that became hazardous as it lifted up, a system software fault, and the detection of human faeces in the water.

To improve the facility ahead of next year’s opening, councillors heard that officers plan to integrate regular water testing into the amenities team schedule, with support from the town council team to carry out midday tests. Officers also plan to discuss options for flooring with the contractor and replace the filter as needed.

A report by a member of the amenities team indicated that the facility had only operated 70% of the time this season.

Speaking at the meeting on 15th September, Cllr Adrienne Westbrook said, “The Splash Pad is the most amazing feature and it is the jewel in our crown in Melksham. Obviously, this year we have had immense problems and those problems need to be sorted for next year.

“We are having a lot of difficulty getting hold of the contractors who actually put the Splash Pad in, in 2018 who are still the largest suppliers of splash pads in the country. They have had an awful lot of issues this year. We are keen to work with the company that has put the new flooring in. We believe that it is totally under guarantee and they should be repairing it.”

Cllr Westbrook also reported issues with the chlorine injector and said a specialist would be needed to resolve the problem. She said, “[This is a] complex piece of equipment; I do think the issues are probably needing some more help and experience with people who deal with chlorine and chlorine injectors.”

Councillors voted for officers to schedule commissioning works for mid-March, allowing the Splash Pad to open in April if operational checks and weather permit, or by 1st May at the latest.

Cllr Adrienne Westbrook said the Splash Pad attracts visitors to Melksham that spend money in the town. She said, “I go to the park a lot and during August. I give out Food and River Festival pamphlets and when I was going down and the Splash Pad was open, you probably had 300 people in our park bringing money into our town.

“When closed, we had about 10 or 15 people there. That is the difference that Splash Pad makes. When you look at the financials, you could argue that it is not value for money. I would never say it’s not value for money because I feel it brings so much money into Melksham. It helps make certain that the cafe there is financially viable and that the cafes at the bottom of town are financially viable. It’s really important that we get this right.”

Pictured: The Splash Pad when it closed earlier this year