A swimming school and children’s swimming club have been left high and dry because of delayed repairs to a storm-damaged pool roof.
Part of the roof at the swimming pool at Salendine Nook High School was blown off in February’s storms.
The company which runs the pool, Spie Facilities Services, had pledged to repair it within a month – but work has only just started.
Anita Murgatroyd, of Salendine Nook Swimming Stroke Technique, said her company had lost more than £12,000 because of the shut-down.
Anita, who has a lease at the pool to run several weekly lessons, said the delays had also meant that around 170 pupils could not learn, whilst the talents of 100 members of the Huddersfield Crusaders, which she founded in 2011, were being wasted after being left without a pool to train in.
Roof panels were blown off by high winds on February 12 and work should have been completed by February 24. Youngsters were forced to abandon the pool after roof panels were ripped off in 70mph gales.
Anita and local councillor Cahal Burke said they had been left in the dark over the repairs.
It was claimed the completion date for the repairs, which included new guttering and downpipes, kept being pushed back to March 10, then April 28.
According to the latest programme of works it is now due to be completed by June 20, almost four months late.
Anita, who gave up her full-time job in accounts to run the company last year, said: “Since the storm we’ve lost about £1,000 a week in turnover.
“I’ve had to use up all my savings, go without a salary and my 10 staff have had to take a 50% pay cut.
“Hopefully if the work is completed as planned now we will just get by but this does not make up for the impact it has had on the children’s swimming.”
She has only been able to find alternative venues at Fartown and Almondbury for two of her six hours of weekly lessons and said that many families were unable to travel to them.
She said: “Both the learners and Crusaders have suffered because of these delays and the amount of children who have competed in galas has fallen by two thirds compared to last year because they don’t feel confident.
“This is such a shame because they had worked so hard over the winter months and many had achieved Yorkshire Qualifying Times and not being able to travel to the alternative venues will make it very difficult for them to achieve those times now.
“I just feel very let down considering the number of years I have leased the pool.”
Meanwhile, Lindley Liberal Democrat councillor Burke said: “I have had a number of complaints from residents and the work has just taken far too long.
“I just hope now that work will be carried out this time.
“We will be monitoring this to make sure it does happen but I wish that they had also taken this opportunity to make improvements to the pool because it was falling into disrepair before this happened.”
A spokesman for Spie said the company was unable to comment but Salendine Nook High School head teacher Christine Spencer confirmed that scaffolding was now in place and work had started.
'Suddenly there was a noise like a gunshot' - school shuts after Salendine Nook High School swimming pool roof stripped away by high winds: click to read
Storm tears apart Salendine Nook swimming pool roof - as children's lessons take place below: click to read
As it happened: High winds hit Huddersfield and Yorkshire - click for our recap of our live coverage from that night
30 dramatic pictures of the storm that hit Huddersfield - click here to see
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