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States committed to a 'viable way forward' over Guernsey's sole diving board

Environment committee president somewhat tight-lipped on the ongoing issue at La Vallette but says public help in keeping the board may be welcome.

Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez was unable to say much in the Assembly about a political side issue that has taken centre stage.

It focuses on the future of the sole open water diving board in Guernsey and whether it can stay at La Vallette, following a prohibition notice issued by the Health and Safety Executive over pool depth.

Deputy John Gollop, a member of P&R, posed the questions, first to ESS president, Peter Roffey.

He asked whether the prohibition notice, stopping people using the board, could instead have been an improvement notice?

Deputy Roffey said the matter had begun with an "accident, an incident" at the pools in late 2023:

"There was very long dialogue about the options for resolving the perceived risks before any prohibition notice was granted."

READ: Working party considering how diving board could be saved

Deputy Gollop asked several questions of deputy de Sausmarez but she was unable to go into detail. She did indicate, in brief answers, that her team was open-minded about a viable way forward, and that help from pool users would not be ruled out.

She did say that the issue was not down to the maintenance budget:

"A more generous amount of funding could certainly help to mitigate many of the exacerbating factors."

Deputy Al Brouard asked whether divers could determine whether the stone below the pool was bed rock or movable and was told there was not yet a definitive answer.

Deputy Inder wondered whether the summer pastime of pier-jumping could be outlawed around Guernsey as a result, but was reassured it would not.

Finally, deputy Jonathan le Tocq asked a wider question, tongue in cheek:

"When and why did life get so complicated and when is it going to return to normal?"

The response:

"I really wish I knew the answer but deputy le Tocq might have to look to a higher power for that."

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