Relief over pool asbestos find

THE asbestos problem discovered in the Royal Commonwealth Pool was not as bad as first feared, it emerged today.

The Evening News revealed last March that the discovery and removal of asbestos had delayed the massive revamp of the pool, with council officials admitting that they did not know what the impact would be on costs and timescales.

It since emerged that the work had put the revamp 13 weeks behind schedule but that the cost remained unknown.

In a report to councillors published this week, council officials said that "the asbestos problem did not prove as serious as first thought".

Initial estimates indicated the revamp would be finished by the end of June 2011 and cost 37 million.