Grange lido refurb 'needs a further £1.8m', council told

A £5m project to repair a derelict Grade II-listed lido and the surrounding promenade needs an additional £1.8m to avoid the risk of further structural damage.

South Lakeland Council wants to make safe the site at Grange-over-Sands.

The work, though, would stop short of a full reopening for swimming.

A report to the authority warns parts of the lido would be at "imminent risk of either partial or complete failure" without "immediate intervention".

It was constructed in 1932 but closed in 1993, with the council pointing to low use and increasing operational and repair costs.

The refurbishment project is to include an upgrade of the central pavilion building, infilling of the pool itself and a new children's playground along the promenade.

A report compiled by Paul Scullion, the authority's acting operational lead for asset and commercial services, said any further damage to the structure would "leave the council exposed to higher expenditure, heritage enforcement action and irreparable reputational damage".

The council is set to meet on Tuesday and has been advised to approve additional funding.

Plans to turn the site into a "multi-use public space" were approved in 2019 with the council saying it intended to use an "appropriate infill to the pool which would not preclude future re-watering".

Campaigners from the Save Grange Lido group have fought to bring the site back into use as a swimming pool and thousands of people signed a petition backing their call.

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