All pools at the island’s NSC will close from Saturday, August 4 for a period of nine months.

The refurbishment will see the moveable floor in the competition pool and the flume slides in the leisure pool removed and replaced.

Both the floor and the slides are now 20 years old.

The pool changing area will also be renovated during the closure. However, the other areas and facilities at the NSC will remain open to the public.

Minister for Education, Culture and Sport Graham Cregeen MHK said: ’The Programme for Government sets out a number of targets around health and wellbeing such as increasing the number of people regularly undertaking physical exercise, and increasing healthy life expectancy.

’Access to sports facilities plays a key role in realising these ambitions. The island has invested considerably in sport over the past 25 years and we continue to reap rewards from this.’

The redevelopment is scheduled to take nine months and the pools are due to re-open before TT 2019.

During the closure, the public pools in Ramsey, Peel and Castletown will be available and early bird swimming, children swimming lessons, and aqua fit will be held at Ballakermeen High School.

To book the sessions at Ballakermeen, contact the NSC on 688588.