A swimmer from Orpington says he is devastated by the “neglect” of the Crystal Palace pool centre.
Myles Barrell, who was born in Beckenham, and now resides in Orpington, said the swimming centre was an important part of his childhood.
The 36-year-old told the News Shopper that he used to train at the swimming pool as an aspiring athlete with his younger brother Hugh, and dad, Gordon.
The pool, which first opened in 1964, closed in March 2020 after a leak was discovered.
It was then traced to a cracked underwater window which forced the closure.
It was announced in October 2021 that funding was secured by the Mayor of London which would see the opening of the pool.
Since then, the pool still has not reopened.
A spokesperson for Greater London Authority (GLA) said the project of bringing the pool back safely into full use will be done soon as possible.
Myles said: “The swimming centre was such a vital part of me growing up.
“It was the first-ever place I got a taste of swimming.
“It gave me the opportunity to swim in a 50-meter Olympic distance pool.
“I remember my first early memory of my dad and my brother going to the pool.
“Since then, it just became a lifestyle for me to visit after school.”
Myles discovered his love for swimming after joining Bromley Swimming club with his brother growing up.
He says it is heartbreaking to see the conditions of the pool where he trained as a child.
The pool was a strong foundation for Myles which also helped him sustain a healthy lifestyle.
He said: “It’s now devastating to see the condition the pool have been left in.
“After seeing what it was left like, you almost feel the echoes and memories of it was full of kids.”
“But now it’s all been taken away from us.”
Myles now wants someone to take responsibility and restore the pool for future Olympic athletes and swimmers.
He explained: “The problem is that there’s no one taking responsibility and fighting the case of keeping this pool alive.
“It’s so crucial to have facilities like these.
“We have potential athletes and swimmers for the Olympics who don’t have access to the pool.
“It’s all just going to waste and it’s sad to see.
“There could be thousands of kids in the area who could benefit from the facilities.
“It’s really a shame to see.”
A spokesperson for GLA said: "Since the Mayor approved funding in December 2021 for a comprehensive renovation of the centre, the project has been moving at pace to bring it safely back into full use as soon as possible, and deliver positive sporting, community, health and wellbeing outcomes for Londoners.
"Necessary further survey work has been carried out, project management advice sought on the best way to phase and sequence the works, and the preparation of an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the procurement of key consultants to help develop the spatial and technical designs and take the project forward.
"This work will include confirmation of a timeline for each part of the centre.
"The Mayor completely appreciates the frustration of all those who love using the pools and has made it a priority to carry out the necessary renovation works, with the goal of maximising the time the pools are available for use.
"The National Sports Centre is a hugely important sporting and community facility for the capital and this project will secure its future for decades to come.
"Further consultation on the development plans will be planned for the coming months, to ensure the local community, centre users and key stakeholders can fully input their views.
"This will build on the previous engagement work done to date and ensure the vision for the centre captures local aspirations."
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