Extreme Makeover of Portishead Open Air Pool begins

The Portishead Pool Community Trust has applied for a grant to install an energy saving pool cover and a decison by Portishead Town Council whether to award £17,250 was due last night.

Last year some swimmers had to resort to wearing wetsuits in the heated pool because water temperatures were so low.

Trust chairman Roger Whitfield said: "I cannot underestimate the importance of the pool cover, it is without doubt the single most important energy saving device we will install and it really will make the difference between success and failure. There are many reasons why the pool has been cold, not least the cost of the heating oil that has increased steadily year on year, but above all the main reason for a cold pool is a lack of overnight insulation.

"The lack of a pool cover means that the energy put into the pool during the day is lost again at night, so without it we will have to constantly burn oil overnight to maintain water temperature. However with a pool cover in place the pool will retain more than 80 per cent of the heat that would normally be lost."

Town council chairman David Pasley said there was money available within the council's budget to make the grant if it wished to. He added he was personally in favour of supporting the trust's application. Since the trust was formed last year after North Somerset Council announced it was intending to close the pool it has galvanised public support for the pool. More than £10,000 has been raised through fundraising to refurbish the pool.

But Mr Whitfield said getting the TV programme onboard will enable it to get much of the work scheduled for the next five years done in the space of a week. A number of local building firms have either donated their time or materials to the pool trust free of charge to get the pool up and running for the season.

View video example of Ty Pennington's high-octane show below

More on the upgrade via Somerset ASA and www.portisheadopenairpool.org.uk