THE paddling pool in King George V Park in Melksham will close permanently after the town council said the refurbishment and running costs were too high.

Melksham Town Council voted to not proceed with plans to re-open the paddling pool after being told that it would cost £8,800 to refurbish it for the upcoming summer holidays.

Instead of opening the pool for six weeks, the council are focusing on exploring other options to create a different facility for children to enjoy, such as a splash pad.

The council also chose this course of action after staff there had received several complaints about the condition of the surface and that the 'paddling pool was prone to flooding from the nearby brook which had caused algae to form on the surface'.

Councillor Mike Sankey said at last month's council meeting that the paddling pool should be reinstated for the summer period, but his vote was not carried.

A further motion, to resurface the pool with wet pour and install appropriate play equipment was proposed by Cllr Jon Hubbard and that was approved.

The pool was closed by Wiltshire Council last year as it was deemed not fit for purpose and the council says it doesn’t have the money to open the pool this summer.