A school swimming pool destroyed by fire is being replaced with a new multi-million pound complex.
Work began on the new 25-metre, six-lane pool at City of London Freemen’s School in Ashtead Park last week, more than two and a half years after an inferno raged through the former building.
Head Boy Ben Sidwell and Head Girl Amelia Hart (pictured above) joined Roger Chadwick, Chairman of the Board of Governors, to make the first dig on Friday, September 9.
About 50 firefighters tackled the blaze on the night of January 3, 2014. Crews from ten fire stations from across Surrey were unable to save the pool, but did manage to stop the fire spreading to other school buildings.
A fire investigation was carried out and police sniffer dogs were brought in to check for accelerants following the fire. A Surrey County Council spokesman this week confirmed that “the cause (of the fire) was undetermined due to the sheer extent of the damage.”
An artist’s impression of what the new swimming pool at City of London Freemen’s School in Ashtead Park might look like
The replacement pool is due to be completed by next autumn.
Roland Martin, the school’s headmaster, said: “The situation of the site is perfect, surrounded by beautiful, established trees, with plans to plant more too, we really will feel like we are swimming in the wild once this sympathetically designed pool is in full use.”
The new pool is to be part of a £30million facelift of the school. A music school and building house will also be built, and a 18th century mansion house will be completely refurbished.
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