The Brussels commune of Forest has included an outdoor swimming pool in its masterplan for a project known as Forest by the Senne.
Forest by the Senne is a long-term project, aiming to develop a vision for what the Charroi site in Forest would look like by 2040.
“This is a great first sign of broad support of this idea,” said Pool is Cool, an organisation that believes “strongly in the contribution of outdoor swimming to the living quality of our city.”
“However, a lot of questions remain open,” Pool is Cool warned, “like the financing of a pool project or the availability of the terrain today owned by Sibelga.”
The commune has not put forward a timing on the project either, Bruzz reports.
The organisation had launched a call to action in May to have an outdoor pool included in the masterplan, saying that “a swimming pool would fit perfectly on the ‘Charroi’ site” and explaining that Forest was one of the only communes in Brussels without a public swimming pool.
That makes it “difficult to organize necessary swimming lessons for the kids of Forest since the pools of neighboring communes can’t cope with the requests,” the organisation argued.
The pool would be surrounded by a sunbathing area, and the masterplan also includes a multisports area and a walking path along the Senne.
The next step is to start discussions with Sibelga, said alderman of Urban Planning, Water and Green Space Alain Mugabo. "This can be about a sale of the land, but it can also be about cooperation. This will be done in close consultation with the Region," he said.
The Charroi site was put forth by Pool is Cool as one of five possible locations for an outdoor pool.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
