The Future of Swimming Pools in Moerdijk
On December 14, 2023, the city council approved the construction of the new De Niervaert complex (Klundert) and the sustainability upgrades for the De Oester (Fijnaart), De Bosselaar (Zevenbergen), and Ons Bad (Willemstad) swimming pools.
Developments such as declining visitor numbers, sharply rising energy costs, sustainability requirements, and, at the same time, residents’ calls to keep the pools open called for a comprehensive, fair, and clear plan for the future. Work was done on this in 2023.
Factors considered included visitor numbers at the pools, operating expenses, energy costs, and sustainability requirements. Discussions were also held with the swimming pool operators; residents were able to share their opinionsthrough a survey; and individual meetings were held with all city and village councils. In December 2023, the city council made the following decision:
- Making three swimming pools more sustainable: Ons Bad, De Bosselaar, and De Oester.
- New construction of the De Niervaert complex.
Status Update: February 2024
In 2024, the municipality of Moerdijk commissioned an external firm to prepare a sustainability report. This report covers the swimming pools we own: “De Bosselaar” in Zevenbergen and the new “Niervaert” facility to be built in Klundert. It also covers the swimming pools operated by the independent foundations “De Oester” in Fijnaart and “Ons Bad” in Willemstad. The report includes plans for the operation of all swimming pools and ensuring they remain “swim-ready” for the next 25 years.
On January 15, 2025, these results will be presented to the city council, followed by an on-site working visit by the city council. Based on both of these, a council proposal will be submitted regarding funding and an action plan with various measures to be implemented in 2025:
- This may take the form of a need for additional information, such as CO² reduction, grid congestion issues, building modernization—and what that entails—and updating the operating agreements.
- Implement specific measures that are largely within the municipality’s control.
In this way, we are trying to better shape the developments at the swimming pools so that we can have made significant progress by the end of 2025.