The historic pool, which originally opened in 1897 and was restored at a cost of £315,000 between 2012 and 2014, has been out of action for much of this summer. Damaged sluice gates have prevented water from being retained as the tide goes out.
Silvio Alves, the parish’s head of infrastructure, said he hoped to receive some prices for repair work soon, after which the project could be scheduled.
‘We hope we’ll be able to place an order and then get the repairs done sooner rather than later,’ Mr Alves said, adding: ‘Exactly when we can do the work will depend on the tides, as we need the pool to drain completely, and on having the right weather.’
Although the pool is owned by the government, the Parish of St Helier is responsible for its upkeep. The parish contributed £100,000 to the restoration project, with a further £100,000 being provided by the Jersey Development Company and £115,000 coming from the Tourism Development Fund.
Since reopening in July 2014, the pool has suffered damage as a result of winter storms. Some critics have also highlighted the government’s failure to prevent an accumulation of sea lettuce during the latter stages of the summer, when the sea temperature is at its highest.
