The dream of The tank to have a public recreational pool will have to wait at least until 2023, after the failure of the first tender. the mayor, Esther Morales (PSOE)has confirmed that “inflation and the increase in the cost of materials” caused the resignation of the winning company and forced the Northern City Council to update the project to proceed with a new public tender, which is open for the reception of offers until next October 10. The work has become more expensive by 36% and its budget goes from the initial 336,000 euros to the current 458,000.
Morales insists that, despite the difficulties, his government continues “working hard to make this project a reality, despite the situation created.” The mayor adds that they have managed to “unlock the financing required to update the project, as well as its execution. An investment plan is now available, charged to the remaining treasury, to meet this historic demand from neighbors».
The outdoor pool project, drawn up by the architects Esteban Guerra and Antonio Betancor and the engineer Ruyman Batistahas “all sectoral reports approved and has a maximum execution period of eight months.”
The mayor acknowledges the difficulties that “having to tender again from scratch has generated, but we managed to speed it up quite a bit and the tender has already been published in the State Contracting Platform». El Tanque, with a population of 2,829 inhabitants, is one of the three municipalities in Tenerife that does not have access to the sea (along with Tegueste and Vilaflor) and also lacks a public swimming pool, so its neighbors have always had to move to other towns. of the region, such as Los Silos, Garachico or Buenavista, to enjoy a swim or simply learn to swim. The local government (PSOE) made this installation one of its electoral commitments in 2019 and since then they have been working to make it a reality.
It will not be a large indoor pool like the ones that have been built in municipalities such as La Guancha, La Orotava, Santa Úrsula or La Matanza de Acentejo, but an open installation, much smaller and cheaper to maintain. Similar to those that can be seen in small hotel complexes. The project includes changing rooms, toilets, a solarium area and three small pools: a larger one for general use; another therapeutic type, with water beds and pressure jets, and a shallow third for children, separated from the rest by a security fence.
This recreational pool is inspired by the experiences of other municipalities in the Archipelago with similar characteristics to El Tanque, such as Fat tipon La Palma, or Tejeda, in Gran Canaria, which have 2,200 and 1,900 inhabitants, respectively. The facility will be built in the El Lance park, on Colón Avenue in the urban area, one of the few free lands for sports facilities that exist in this municipality.
Morales is a firm defender of this project, despite the doubts generated by the tank climate. She is convinced that “it will contribute to local development, economic recovery and the improvement of the quality of life of the neighbors, which they will no longer have to go to other municipalities to enjoy a swimming pool in the warmer months».
