After many years with no such facilities, Lagos Municipal Council has finally succeeded in fulfilling an old dream: the construction of the municipal swimming pools, which opened last weekend. At a cost of over 12 million euros, the project dates back to 2001 and was co-financed by European funds. It will serve a municipality that has 30,000 residents, about half of whom live in the city of Lagos itself, according to the most recent census.

Júlio Barroso, president of the Lagos Municipal Council told the Algarve Observer that the census was out of date and that there could now be many more residents.

The facility, which also includes a Sports Complex, was inaugurated last weekend, on 21st April, and it will be managed by a municipal company – the company Lagos-em-Forma, gestão desportiva E.M. – which was set up a year ago specifically for this purpose.

The municipal president said that the municipal company had been set up in order to find a form of management that was more in accordance with business management, aiming for sustainability and ways of selling the services that the facilities provide. He added that they did not want the joy that had come from the fulfilment of a long-standing promise to be turned into depression because it implies major expenses for the municipal budget.

The idea, which has been copied from other examples that were visited in the country, is not to make a profit, but rather to increase the number of people involved and reduce costs. The creation of the municipal company was one of the solutions put forward by a study commissioned by the local council at the time the project was set up, entitled “Strategic Plan for the Development of Sport”.

The swimming pool complex comprises a 25x25 metre pool that is two metres deep and is equipped to host national and international competitions. There are also two other activities on offer based in a 25x12 metre pool, which will be used for learning to swim, but also for hydrogymnastics and rehabilitation.

The facility also has a 400 square metre sports centre with equipment and machines intended for muscle training, cardio fitness and other activities, and also a pavilion equipped to hold shows, exhibitions, seminars and a range of cultural and sporting events, such as international competitions.

source: algarve observer