Plunge pool or swimming pool?

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Alcala Barry
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Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby Alcala Barry » Sat Aug 13, 2016 10:03 am

Garden/Plunge/swimming pool

Does anyone have any idea when a garden/plunge pool becomes a swimming pool? So if we were to have a small foot cooling pool (say 2m x 1.5m and 500mm deep) is that considered to be a swimming pool and therefore may not be permitted?

I appreciate that these regulations may vary from one area to another, I was just wondering if a swimming pool is actually defined in the regs as being one if it is more than say X,Y,Z metres?

Any info appreciated.

Regards

Barry

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Re: Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby El Cid » Sat Aug 13, 2016 10:28 am

Bearing in mind that you need a building licence for any addition or alteration to your property, the only people who can answer your question are the town hall planning department as they are the people who would issue a licence.

They are usually pretty helpful (unless you do something without permission!)

Sid

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Re: Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby Alcala Barry » Sat Aug 13, 2016 10:46 am

El Cid. I undestand that, of course I do.
I am merely asking if anyone knows the approximate sizes that are considered by the authorities. So for example, presumably I would not need permission for a garden feature that is say 150 x 100mm, but I would need permisssions for something that was say 4m x 5 metres.

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Re: Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby gerryh » Sat Aug 13, 2016 11:01 am

As Sid has already said, you need to ask the town hall planning department as they are the people who would issue a licence.
Unfortunately, this being Spain, not all planning departments abide by the same rules/ guidelines.
one might say that a 2m x 1.5m and 500mm deep pool is OK and doesn't need permission but another might say yes it does need permission but we won't give you permission.
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Enrique
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Re: Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby Enrique » Sat Aug 13, 2016 12:07 pm

Hi Alcala Barry,
Why not above ground pool, they are popular up this way..........Alcala La Real.

Last swimming pool I heard of got built after much hassle........had to move its location and probably only got the go ahead as the lady in question is disabled and required it for her therapy.

Best place is Town Hall as the guys have mentioned, they have been moving the goal posts a lot lately....and not in the right direction either............ :(
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Re: Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby TorreDelAguila » Sat Aug 13, 2016 12:09 pm

Our town hall even lifted a permission payment from one resident who simply wanted to shift soil and rubble from one part of his large campo property to another! Trouble with asking, is that the answer to "Do I need permission (= payment)?" is almost certainly going to be Yes. Catch-23. But the advice is right, though: only the local T.H. can answer your question about a 'pool'.
Chris

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Re: Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby Martin Page » Sat Aug 13, 2016 12:12 pm

Alternatively ... ask a pool builder to give your a quote for Pool and permission - total.

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Re: Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby Alcala Barry » Sat Aug 13, 2016 2:29 pm

I am well aquainted with the application process for licenses etc. All I wondered was whether there were guidelines for those that make these decisions and they might stipulate minimum or maximum sizes before a license is required etc.

The enquiry is not actually for me anyway - you couldn't swing a gato in our garden even if you wanted too, let alone build a pool. It is for a neighbour of ours but she does not use a computer. She doesn't want to approach the town hall yet, because (as TorreDeAgila said) they will just say yes.

As Enrique indicated above, in this area they have cracked down quite heavily on pool applications and turn the vast majority down. Maybe she will just have to put up with a small above ground pool.

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Re: Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby TorreDelAguila » Sat Aug 13, 2016 4:51 pm

Just out of interest, do we know why there is still an embargo on building new pools?
The number of new houses being constructed is almost zero, and the water demands of your average pool are almost a drop in the bucket in the overall water consumption figures for Andalucia (local difficulties like Competa aside).
Permissions would generate fees, and would create employment.
Bit puzzled.
Chris

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Re: Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby Wicksey » Sun Aug 14, 2016 9:22 am

That's why we have got an above ground pool as it doesn't need permission. I think it is more likely that they will say no rather than yes so we kept it simple. Ours is a reinforced poliester (glass fibre) one 4.5 x 2.5 x 1.4m so more than just a splash pool but you can buy smaller ones than that which are pretty easy to plonk down and use (and much cheaper overall too).

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Re: Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby swerve » Sun Aug 14, 2016 3:57 pm

Maybe she should think about a hot tub. Can be used all year round. Cool in summer warm in winter.
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Re: Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby peteroldracer » Sun Aug 14, 2016 8:32 pm

Remember you should get approval and pay a small works fee for any concrete base to sit it on...
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Wicksey
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Re: Plunge pool or swimming pool?

Postby Wicksey » Mon Aug 15, 2016 9:44 am

I did! Mind you, our Spanish neighbour said we were mad for asking as no-one else around here bothers. He said his brother is a policeman so he 'sorts things out' if there are any problems :)


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