The whole NSC pool facility including the new flumes are planned to be back in operation in time for the school summer holidays.

Education Minister Dr Alex Allinson gave an update in Tynwald about the NSC flume saga, which has been branded a national embarrassment.

’We are aiming to have the whole NSC pool facility back in operation in time for the school summer holidays. This is dependent on the project completion timetable remaining on schedule,’ he said.

Problems with the manufacture and installation of the new flumes have caused a lengthy delay to the £3.8m pool refurbishment project, which started in August 2017 and was meant to be completed April 2019.

When the spiral staircase for the flume was delivered it was found to have been damaged in transit and when installed the flume run-out clashed with the duct work.

The stair column’s tread sections didn’t fit properly, there were no landings and inner handrail and there was significant movement when standing at the top on the flume entry platform.

Final cost of the project is now expected to be £4.2m with Tynwald asked last November to support a £227,085 increase in funding to allow for the work to be finished.

In Tynwald this week, Dr Allinson blamed Covid for the fact that the modification works had not yet been able to start. But he said scaffolding access to the flume stair tower and platform was being erected this week and a specialist contractor would begin work on April 25, subject to travel exemptions being approved.

He said their work on the project was expected to take five weeks and it would take a further seven weeks to complete the overall project and prepare the pool for a full reopening.