We are often asked questions and so we thought it would be useful for us to bring you up to date with the answers to the most commonly asked questions. Hope you find it useful and informative.
What’s happening at the Lido at the moment?
Westmorland and Furness Council own the Lido. We agreed a two-stage restoration process with the Council in 2019. It was thought that the first stage would begin in 2020 or 2021, but the pandemic got in the way and the work didn’t finally start until April 2023.
W & F is spending around £6.2m on this part of the work, which includes essential structural repairs to the sea defences, central pavilion and terraces to enable the site to be opened up to the public for the first time since the Lido closed in 1993. The £6.2m includes the improvements to the promenade.
The scheme was intended to include the restoration of the side pavilions and diving platform, but that work is no longer in W & F’s scheme due to the cost involved.
There have been a few delays as often happens with projects of this magnitude but the work is almost complete, and the site is expected to be opened to the public in early 2025. It’s likely that the buildings will remain out of bounds as we will need to carry out some work to fit out the main pavilion for our interim community use (see below).
Why has the pool basin been filled in?
We’ve known that the pool basin would be filled in since we began working with the Council in 2019. We’d explored various options, such as decking or fencing around the pool, but they were ruled out on cost and safety grounds. The Council needed to make the site safe so that the public could have access to it, and the Council would have suffered considerable criticism if after spending so much money on the site it remained closed. The temporary and removeable infill was the only way that this could be achieved.
The pool basin could not simply be drained and left empty, as without the weight of water the pool basin would probably break its back and require expensive repair.
In the end, the decision was made back in 2019 that the pool basin would be filled with a temporary, removeable and reusable granular material. This area has now been temporarily landscaped simply to make it more attractive.
It’s important to note that SGL requires a degree of infill come what may, to enable us to achieve the pool depth profiles we need. Retaining the existing depths was ruled out at an early stage on the grounds of cost (both capital and on-going outlay) and safety grounds.
The infill is temporary. We know that removing it adds to the cost of the second phase of the work, but the two-phase approach is one we’ve been working on with the Council since 2019 and is the best and only way for us to secure the full restoration.
What will happen at the end of Phase 1?
Although in an ideal world we’d have had the funds in place for the full restoration by now, unfortunately that hasn’t happened. Our progress wasn’t helped by the pandemic and the economic problems from which we’ve all suffered. Major funders generally require a two-stage approach – paying firstly for development work (planning etc) and then the delivery phase (construction). We’re currently preparing applications for funding to kit out the buildings for the temporary use pending full restoration, so that when the site is opened to the public, we will be present on site to deliver our message that the overall objective is for a fully restored pool.
We expect be able to take over the site from the Council during the first half of 2025. We’re currently negotiating the terms of that transition with W & F officers. The plan is that we will manage the Lido as an attractive Community and Heritage Hub whilst we get on with the development and delivery work. We’ll use the Central Pavilion as a visitor/heritage attraction promoting our work. We’ll host arts and cultural events at the Lido (we’re in discussion with several groups at the moment). We’re also planning to secure funding to fit out the North and South Pavilions as a fitness/well-being hub and community space.
What are the plans?
Our plans for the pool are being developed with our pool engineers Devin Consulting. There are many engineering issues around the space available for the necessary filters and balance tanks, but we will restore a pool and make the site an attractive destination for all, reflecting our community and heritage. The site will be more than a swimming pool without a roof. It will be a vibrant hub for everyone to enjoy.
We’d hoped to be able to include a 50m competition pool within the pool basin, but it became apparent that we wouldn’t be able to house all the equipment that would be needed to achieve a 50m pool. This meant that other options had to be considered.
Working with our architects and pool engineers, we agreed upon this layout as our preferred option:
The Lido will be an inclusive, community-focused heritage attraction, with health and wellness at the core. We want it to have something for everyone, of all abilities, young or old. So, after many hours spent in meetings and much discussion, working with our architects and pool engineers we settled on a design which we think offers something for all. There’s to be a 25m 6 lane pool with a depth of 1.35m which can be used for County Level competition and training, a smaller, shallower 13m pool (0.9m deep) and a paddling pool or splash pad. The existing basin is retained and we’re keeping the heritage features of it such as the bull nose scum channels.
This layout gives us lots of options in terms of programming the swimming and heating the water. Heating the water with this design layout will be more cost effective. The increased “dry space” around the pool makes access much easier and whilst also opening up exciting options to hold events for the whole community, from arts and exhibitions to films and concerts.
SGL is looking to heat the pools using renewable energy. We have obtained a feasibility study to make the best use of renewable energy on site.
The diving platform will be retained but diving from it will not be permitted as the pool is of insufficient depth to meet modern safety requirements for diving from such a height.
There will be disabled access in accordance with current legislation and the plans include provision for a Changing Places facility.
How much will it cost and where will the money come from?
SGL’s Quantity Surveyors estimate that the second phase of the restoration will cost in the region of £5.2m.
SGL has already made great progress. Grants have been received from the Architectural Heritage Fund, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Shared Prosperity Fund. Since we began fund-raising, we’ve raised over £200,000. Once we secured a legal interest in the site, we will have the opportunity to apply for the larger grants needed for the full restoration. We’re currently working on the terms of that legal interest with W & F.
We’re working with funding partners in the Not-for-Profit Sector to ensure that all available sources of funding are explored.
SGL is registered with HMRC as a charity and can receive gift aid donations, which effectively adds 25% to the amounts donated.
SGL will arrange a community share issue as part of the match funding for the second phase of the restoration work. We plan to launch this once we have secured planning approval for our phase of the work. We have a growing and successful “Friends of Grange Lido” scheme with currently over 300 members.
We expect that the bulk of the funding needed will come from grants and (possibly) philanthropic donors.
Is there public support for a fully restored Lido?
Our petitions in 2018 secured over 18,000 signatures, all of whom supported the full restoration with a pool and opposed the plans to fill it in. The support was very strong locally, and we believe that there is overwhelming support for the full restoration including a pool. We have large numbers of supporters on our social media channels. We have the support of the Eden Project Morecambe, the National Trust, Cumbria Tourism and the Morecambe Bay Partnership, and a recognition that a restored lido will bring significant benefits to the Bay area and beyond.
Will the pool lose money?
SGL’s approved business case shows an accumulating surplus over the first 5 years of operation. There will be several income streams:
- From the pool itself
- Rent from café/restaurant/commercial tenants.
- Catering from our own swimmers’ café
- Merchandise sales
- General fund raising
- Events – music, exhibitions, cinema etc
Can there be competitive swimming?
It is envisaged that there will be competitive training and competitions in the pool including facilities for competitive starts from starting platforms and inbuilt automatic timing.
Will it be a sea water pool?
No, we can’t use sea water mainly because we have lost the ability to store water from the sea in tanks where it loses contaminated sediment to be reused in the pool. The sea water tanks under the terracing can no longer be used. Another factor is, that due to the tidal flows of water in the bay changing, it is now difficult to pump water from the sea at times when it is needed.
How will the pool water be treated?
The pools will use the most modern of chemical and filtration techniques. The water will be continually filtered and cleaned recirculating the entire contents of the pool every 3 to 4 hours. It is filtered in a natural way through a sand bed and disinfected with very low levels of chlorine at levels only slightly higher than those used in tap water to keep it safe from any infection.
What about employment?
SGL will manage the lido operation and will employ staff with help from volunteers. SGL is committed to paying at least the living wage (not minimum wage) and will aim to recruit locally. It is expected that there will be around 15 full and part time or seasonal staff.
What is the parking situation?
The Berner’s Close car park was built specifically for the Lido and SGL’s transport studies include provision for the car park to be managed by SGL.
Will the pool only be open in the summer?
SGL is currently working on the business model to determine whether the lido can operate sustainably throughout the year.
Will the Lido increase traffic through Grange?
SGL’s marketing will encourage visitors to travel to the Lido various means, such as bus or bicycle or by train on the beautiful Furness Line and enjoy the stunning walk along the Promenade to reach the Lido. Our transport studies show that the traffic impact will not adversely impact upon the town.
Will there be holiday lets at the site?
No.
What is SGL?
SGL is a community benefit society with charitable objects. It is a social enterprise similar in structure to a Co-operative and SGL is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The Board of SGL consists of:
- Janet Carter (Chair) – Volunteer & Community Officer for the National Trust, South East Cumbria and Morecambe Bay. Lives near Kendal
- Hazel Blears (Vice Chair) – resident of Grange and a former minister in Gordon Brown’s Cabinet.
- Denise Armstrong (Treasurer) – retired Maths teacher resident in Allithwaite.
- Pete Burt – Chair of Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles, a not-for-profit Charitable Trust providing leisure services in the North and Midlands.
- David Dawson (Secretary) – retired Solicitor living near Ulverston.
- Kate McGeevor – resident of Arnside and manager of Stretford Public Hall, a community benefit society.
- Darren Milby – BBC radio presenter who swam in the Lido in his youth. Lives in Manchester.
- Ralph Riley – lives in Allithwaite, and an internationally renowned expert on swimming pool water quality.
- Dan Taylor – General Manager for the National Trust, South East Cumbria and Morecambe Bay, lives in Kendal
The Board is supported by a membership of local people with a range of skills including property and heritage restoration, community engagement and resilience, civil engineering, renewable energy, IT, social work and enterprise, teaching, marketing, design, law, finance, manufacturing, swimming pool design and maintenance.
What happens to the money raised if it isn’t enough to restore the pool?
SGL has an asset lock – once large-scale fund raising begins SGL will nominate a charity to receive any surplus funds if the fund-raising target is not reached or if the plans to properly restore the Lido do not come to fruition.
©Save Grange Lido 2024