Warwick District Council is having to wait a little longer before it can announce the re-opening dates for the public paddling pools at Victoria Park in Leamington and St Nicholas Park in Warwick.

Both paddling pools have been undergoing defect rectification programmes which are scheduled to be completed by the end of the month and the authority says it has been “pushing the contractor hard to bring this forward”.

But in a statement made today (Friday July 24), a council spokeswoman said: “We had hoped that St Nicholas Park paddling pool would open to the public today in time for the weekend.

"Unfortunately, we are unable to do this, as the facility has not been legally handed over to the council by the contractor with the required certification.”

The currently closed paddling pools at St Nicholas Park in Warwick (top) and Victoria Park in Leamington (bottom).

placeholder image — The currently closed paddling pools at St Nicholas Park in Warwick (top) and Victoria Park in Leamington (bottom).

"The council has been assured by the contractor that final checks and handover will now take place on Monday July 27 with Victoria Park paddling pool to follow on Wednesday July 29.

"Whilst the St Nicholas Park paddling pool site might look open, it legally remains a construction site and must not be entered by members of the public until it is officially opened and the gates are unlocked.”

Last week, Matt Western, the MP for Warwick and Leamington said he had been pressing the council for answers over what he has dubbed the “paddling pool fiasco”.

The paddling pool at Victoria Park was shut for repairs in 2024 and the pool at St Nicholas Park was shut at the end of the 2024 season.

Both were due to reopen in May 2025.

Problems with the upgrade meant the July reopening at Victoria Park was short-lived with the Warwick facility also mothballed until this year.

This year’s brighter weather arrived before a resolution, prompting concern from users of the pools, but the district council finalised negotiations with the contractor to iron out the problems with the aim of reopening in the school summer holidays.

The MP demanded that the council confirmed a definite opening date and also called for them to be open for the start of the school summer holidays.

In response, the council said the pools were “on track to open by the end of July” and added that there was “a chance that both pools might be opened earlier”.