Way cleared for NAOK swimming pool
CORFU. Now we’re racing to reclaim the time we’ve lost...
Time to run now. After an incomprehensible waste of time that nearly jeopardised the prospect of building a modern swimming pool at NAOK, a recent meeting concluded with a firm commitment to move forward as quickly as possible.
The first setback occurred in 2000, when plans for a NAOK swimming pool and an athletics training facility in Plantrafo in Potamos were initially selected under the “Greece 2004” programme—but neither project proceeded.
Both projects, as part of a unified plan, later returned to the municipal agenda and were included in the “Antonis Tritsis” programme during Mayor Ydraiou’s tenure. While the indoor training facility was studied and is now under construction in Alykes, the swimming pool became entangled with the fate of the seafront.
Following the partly favourable resolution to return the seafront to the Central Corfu Municipality, there is now no reason not to complete the planning of these sports facilities. This was the consensus among most participants in the meeting, chaired by the mayor and focused exclusively on this issue.
Concerns were raised about whether sufficient time would be available, given the required approvals from other departments and the Archaeological Service. However, the prevailing view was that further delays and repeated postponements could prove disastrous. Accordingly, DEPAN officials pledged to complete the study as quickly as possible, allowing the next steps to unfold and construction to proceed.
As emphasised during the meeting, once all requirements—including necessary permits—are met, construction could be financed through future funding programmes. The focus remains on the designated location, as described in the technical brief, precisely where the historic NAOK swimming pool currently stands.
GIORGOS KATSAITIS
