Kessel-Lo (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Dozens protested the closure of the Kessel-Lo paddling pool, citing rising temperatures and the need for accessible public cooling spaces amid climate concerns.
Swimming won’t be feasible in the domain until the new pool opens in 2029 because the current pool is closing permanently.
The province could not afford the 400,000 euros needed to keep the pool open until then.
“A great shame, because there is hardly any swimming water in the area,”
says organizer Michaël Cloet.
Although it appears to be a children’s party, the protest party in Kessel-Lo province, Belgium, talks about the pool’s closing. The province claims it is old and dilapidated, and maintaining it until 2029 would cost 400,000 euros. The new pool in the provincial domain should be operational by then.
“We want to swim!”
the children shout in unison. Organizer Michaël Cloet agrees with them.
“A great shame, because there is hardly any swimming water in the area. I understand that technical installations deteriorate and that renovation costs money, but it is hard to believe that the swimming pool has suddenly become unusable. Offering swimming fun for children from Leuven and the surrounding area for 5 years seems like a good investment to me.”
“It’s getting warmer and warmer, and then they close one of the only swimming options in the area,”
says another activist.
“It’s outrageous that they’re just closing this pool. The cost doesn’t seem prohibitive to me. You can be sure that the pool will be full today and the next few days.”
The party is mainly attended by parents and children, but the youth association Fabota also came to protest.
“We come here to swim every week in the summer with about 150 children,”
says Jaak Seminck.
“With older children we can still go to the Halve Maan in Diest, although that is an hour on the bus. For our small children this means no more swimming fun.”
How did the community react to the pool’s permanent closure?
Concern and disappointment were felt by the community when the swimming pool at the Provincial Domain in Kessel-Lo was permanently closed.
The closure, which means there won’t be any swimming facilities in the domain until a new pool opens in 2029, sparked a protest party at the pool attended by about thirty people.
The lack of swimming water in the area was brought to light by organizer Michaël Cloet, who described the closure as “a great shame.”
The impact the closure will have on locals who depend on the pool for exercise and enjoyment, as well as the strong local desire to preserve accessible swimming options, are reflected in this response.
