Leading city councillors are sceptical that one of Derby’s best-loved hot weather attractions will be in use again by summer 2025 – or ever. Markeaton Park’s paddling pool failed to open in 2024 and the city council finally admitted last August that it would not be opening at all last year after “delays to the essential resurfacing work taking place”.
But after asking about the latest situation regarding the pool and if it will reopen in 2025, Councillor Steve Hassall, leader of the city’s Conservative group, received a response that said: “To confirm, the works are still under way as there were a number of technical issues, which are currently being resolved.
“The contractors are due back in early spring 2025 to undertake the final works as the materials are weather-sensitive and cannot be applied in the winter. If all goes to plan, the works should be completed in time for our summer opening offer.”
Mr Hassall said: “It’s unbelievable that the paddling pool is still not repaired. Looking at the message and the warning ‘if all goes to plan’ does not inspire confidence in me.
“I’m certainly concerned and surprised that the works from last year have yet to be completed and it doesn’t bode well for this coming summer season. I currently have no confidence that it will be ready to use come the summer.”
Councillor Ajit Atwal, Liberal Democrat leader for Derby and deputy mayor of the city, first spoke out last year after he received many complaints from residents wanting to use the paddling pool. He branded it a “disgrace” that the council hadn’t made it a priority.
He too thinks that it is unlikely the pool will be ready for summer and wants to know why it isn’t ready by now. He said: “The council had all of last year to put the problems right and also while the weather was warm. Instead we are being told there are technical issues – by now they could have rebuilt the pool.
“It is a really valuable asset to many people. It needs to be sorted. It’s no use pulling the wool over people’s eyes about technical issues. Clearly there is something else going on and I wonder if it will ever reopen. It’s pathetic.”
Some years ago, the paddling pool, which is situated in the popular Mundy Play Centre, was ready to open by the end of May and stayed open to the end of September. But last year it did not open at all and eventually the council said that an examination of the pool in late 2023 showed that it needed a full resurfacing.
Specialist contractors were employed to undertake the works, but prolonged wet weather during spring and into early summer 2024 caused an initial delay to the resurfacing process, which needs to be done in dry conditions, according to a council spokesperson last August.
They continued: “Since work started, the authority has done everything in its power to get the pool open in time for the school summer holidays. But technical issues with the resurfacing process, which are currently being investigated by the contractors, have further extended the reopening of the pool to at least spring 2025.”
Caitlin Farmer, of Kedleston Road, who has two children aged four and six, thinks that the council should get the pool repaired in time for the school holidays in 2025. She said: “I have lots of friends that take their children to the pool and when the weather is right then it’s a great place to be.
“I think it is really important to people and maybe they should consider building a new one if the existing one is in such a state.”
Nadia Jones of Allestree said she used to love taking her son Adam, six, to the pool. She said: “But it’s not been possible recently and that is so disappointing for us and for loads of other people. I am hoping it will reopen but it seems to have gone on for too long to be too optimistic.”
People have been paddling in a pool at Markeaton Park for decades. Markeaton Hall and its gardens was bequeathed to the people of Derby by Emily Mundy, who died on August 6, 1929, aged 83.
Prior to her death, the council had already acquired part of her park, adjoining Kedleston Road, which is now known as the Mundy Play Centre. During the 1920s, the Mundy paddling pool was built on this land and the lake was constructed in 1933. The lake, pool and gardens have fared better than the hall, which was pulled down in 1964.
Covid closed the pool in 2020 and in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, various problems led to temporary closures of the pool during the main holiday periods.