The Associació de Municicipis de l'Arc Metropolitana de Barcelona, which brings together nine large cities in the second metropolitan ring, has described as “unmanageable” the Government's decision to leave the authorizations to open both public swimming pools in the hands of the municipalities. as private in the current emergency situation in the region of Barcelona and Girona. These facilities (public pools, but also private ones, in hotels, campsites and communities of owners) may open if they are declared a climate refuge and have public use open to citizens. The association is made up of Vilanova i la Geltrú, Vilafranca, Martorell, Rubí, Terrassa, Sabadell, Mollet, Granollers and Mataró
This entity considers that, unfortunately, "it is not acceptable for the Generalitat to transfer responsibility for the authorization of private or community swimming pools to the town councils." The approved decree will allow privately owned swimming pools that have an agreement with the city council to be filled as long as their use is openly open to citizens under the same conditions as public swimming pools.
“We find it completely unmanageable that communities of owners and private pools become climate refuges in exchange for citizens being able to enter,” says this association. “This is passing the pressure of this decision onto the town councils and the pool owners, in a framework of little clarity and little legal certainty,” she points out. The entity estimates that this decision corresponds to the Generalitat, "and its inclusion in the decree only serves to avoid assuming it."
The entity estimates that these facilities have to comply with rigorous regulations and controls, to which aspects related to safety and civil liability must be added. "On few occasions a private pool can be equated to the regulation of a public pool and its conditions, as the Decree defines."
“It is worth remembering that this announcement arrives at the threshold of an electoral campaign, with just enough time for local authorities to guarantee the quality of the facilities and their correct implementation; a preparation that normally needs weeks in advance. At the moment we find ourselves with little margin to be able to work in favorable conditions,” he explains.
Despite this, the entity highlights that, thanks to the excellent work of the municipal technical teams, "we will be able to save the season and open the public pools as always at the beginning of summer.
