TRUSTEES of the proposed Dartmouth indoor swimming pool are backing the project with their own funds.

They are pledging a considerable sum of money – believed to be tens of thousands of pounds – as a contingency fund if the pool runs over its £2.05m budget.

The money is being offered in place of a bond, which South Hams Council had requested amid concerns over the completion of the build.

David Shaw, vice chairman of the Dartmouth and District Indoor Pool Trust, said the trustees had demonstrated their commitment and belief in the project.

At the same time, the trust is seeking a variation to planning approval from the district council for a reduction in the size of the pool to try to reduce costs without affecting the quality of the building at the leisure centre.

Mr Shaw said that at a meeting on Monday at Follaton House, he and trustee George Hardy, supported by professionals from Kier Construction and project manager Randall Simmonds, set out plans aimed at convincing South Hams Council officials that the pool was deliverable.

'Although the trust will have a fixed price contract with Kier Construction, there could be events which trigger expenses for which the trust would be still liable, such as encountering contamination in the ground, or prolonged severe weather which results in the site being shut down until conditions become workable again,' he said.

'It is these potential costs which concern South Hams District Council.

'In an attempt to put a figure on these potential costs, Kier have produced a risk register which sets out what events could occur, how likely they are to occur and what could be the potential cost of each event.

'The trustees also asked their own project manager and quantity surveyor Randall Simmonds to carry out a similar, independent exercise.'

He said the pledge offered by the trustees totalled one-and-a-half times the larger of the two risk register totals.

'It is hoped that council officials accept that it is adequate provision for these potential, though unlikely, events,' he said.

'The trustees' funds will be at risk until the building is completed. The other concerns expressed by the council were the likely build cost. Will it be within budget and the quality of the materials and equipment specified?

'The trust has recently submitted a variation to the planning permission granted in December.

'The cost of the revised design has now been estimated to be within around one per cent of the available local authority funding.

'To achieve this, the architects have had to be innovative, and the trustees have had to be pragmatic.

'Cost has been taken out of the estimate by redesigning the roof line, reducing the length of the building, removing the proposed multi-use/training room and revisiting the landscaping proposals.

'All this has been achieved without affecting the functionality or the visual appeal of the building.

'To address these points Kier will prepare a package comprising risk register details, material and equipment specifications and tenders received to date, and submit it to the council for appraisal.'

Mr Shaw said a response was promised within two weeks of receipt and the review process should not have an impact on project timescales.

He added: 'In a follow-on meeting, significant progress was made on the legal issues. The wording of the 99-year lease on the land has been agreed, and on the building licence, all elements are in place, or will be in place, apart from the bond requirement, which it is hoped the pledged funds will satisfy.'