First look at Cannock pools ahead of reopening

The three pools at Chase Leisure Centre in Cannock have been repaired and filled with water although the flooring on the surrounding walkways has still to be completed. Now, the contractors are carrying out the critical test of heating the pool – the point at which the project was halted last July, when hairline cracks appeared in the tiles.

Council bosses reveal it will still take weeks to gently heat the water up to its 29C operating temperature. It currently stands at 21C.

Cannock's corporate director Tony McGovern and head of commissioning Mike Edmonds, who are overseeing the project for the council, told the Express & Star that the cause of the problem is believed to have been new expansion joints fitted between the three pools to allow room for slight movement when the baths were heated.

Mr McGovern said: "It appears that the construction of those expansion joints were not as agreed in the design.

"The joints didn't move when the water was heated and the pressure cracked the tiles. Those joints have had to be reconstructed and refitted and the tiles replaced. The contractors are now at the stage of heating the pools.

"However, in order to be in control of the temperature at all times, they turn off the heating overnight when not on site and start again in the morning, which is why it's taking so long, and the cold conditions are delaying that further."

Mr McGovern said the problem was discovered on July 9, just 11 days before the project was due to be handed over.

And after a number of false starts – rescheduled deadlines in late August and September came and went – bosses are cautious of setting a new relaunch date.