The Brussels municipality of Uccle is considering opening its own public open-air swimming pool in response to the shortage of pools in the region.
FLOW in Anderlecht is currently the only public open-air swimming pool in the region. Located at the Pierre Marchant bridge, it first opened to the public in 2021 and has since become locals' favourite spot to cool down in the summer months until early September.
While some similar projects are in the pipeline, including the construction of an outdoor swimming pool on the roof of the Manufakture building, the region has been slow to open more open-air bathing spots on its territory, despite FLOW's popularity and the clear demand for such outdoor spaces when temperatures in the capital soar.
Uccle's mayor Boris Dilliès however is responding to the growing need for spaces to cool off and is looking to create a 450 m2 open-air public swimming pool (30 x 15 metres and 1.50 metres deep).
The municipality is in discussions with the Federal Buildings Agency (Régie des Bâtiments) to receive a long-term lease to bring the project to fruition.
Hearing public demand
Uccle already has one public swimming pool – the indoor Longchamp pool – which attracts some 400,000 visitors per year. But Dilliès believes that there is a shortage of such spaces.
"In this neighbourhood, many people say to me that a place to cool down would not be an unnecessary luxury," he told La Dernière Heure.
He is therefore looking to the England Plateau which connects several green spaces including Kinsendael-Kriekenput-Keyembempt and the complex formed by the Verrewinkel and Buysdelle woods, as well as the Kauwberg plateau.
The space is currently owned by the Federal Buildings Agency and several buildings are occupied by the Health Institute Sciensano. However one hectare is undeveloped. Here, Dilliès wants to create a swimming pool, filtered by plants, similar to the system adopted by the FLOW pool. The pool would not be heated, meaning it would not be open all year round.
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On the side of the Federal Buildings Agency, Secretary of State Mathieu Michel reportedly "fully supports the project politically" although said that it would be "necessary see what legal form the contract with the municipality will take. Ideally, things could go very quickly, but there are always unforeseen circumstances."
Once an agreement has been reached between the Federal Buildings Agency and the permit procedures it is hoped the project can be realised within two years. The space is currently not open to the public but this should be possible once the correct permit has been obtained.
