£5m Olympic-size pool built two inches short

[Topper]

You would have thought somebody would be accountable for this but no as usual nobody will bear the cost apart from the local taxpayers, a similar thing happened in Leeds.

A new £5 million 'Olympic-size' swimming pool in Portsmouth has been built two inches too short for international competition.
The eight-lane pool at Mountbatten Leisure Centre is 50 metres in length but international standard pools need to have an extra two inches so that touch-sensitive time boards can be installed.
The Liberal Democrat council in charge of the project have denied that they have blundered in the construction of the pool but opponents say the decision could cost the city millions as it had been earmarked as a training venue for London 2012 athletes.
"The way it was sold to us was we would be hosting an Olympic team of swimmers for training for the 2012 games," said Tory councillor Donna Jones.
"But now we're being told the pool is two inches too short and as a result the city will lose millions of pounds of revenue along with cash grants.
"The amateurs will be happy with the pool but not top-level athletes."

Full story
-http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/article/36686/

 

[Lazarus]

I remember well the scandal about the Leeds Pool (not least 'cos I used it regularly as a Student and later a Resident!).

It was a Poulson project and he later was embroiled in a major corruption scandal.

I don't recall there was a requirement then for an extra couple of inches - it was just too short in the simplest sense.

 

[rolfw]

Well if I guess they are really serious about it, the should be able to cut a pool width rebate into both ends of the pool, to facilitate the touch panels.

 

[Channel Hopper]

With touch sensitive screens/keyboards in worldwide circulation using optical interruptors that are no thicker than 1mm, one would have thought they could put something similar in a pool.

I smell a rat/sour grapes with the supplier of the outdated technology myself

 

[DishDick]

Sounds a bit fishy. In the 21st century what international standards say its 2 inches short, surely everything is metric.

 

[TSD]

You couldn't make it up. Great stuff