Council dismisses Weston-super-Mare Tropicana sale rumours

Rumours a lido turned arts hub is up for sale have been dismissed by councillors.

A working group was set up by North Somerset Council to consider options for the Tropicana in Weston-super-Mare after SEE Monster leaves the site.

Placemaking scrutiny panel chair John Crockford-Hawley said he wanted to "put an end" to the speculation on Facebook.

Councillors said the option to sell the space was on the table only if someone had a "costed and funded vision".

The Tropicana opened in 1937 but closed as a lido in 2000.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a working group in 2011 had recommended demolishing the building but it was saved after a campaign headed by farmer and businessman Derek Mead, who wanted to restore it as a swimming pool.

The venue has since hosted art installations such as Banksy's Dismaland in 2015 and most recently SEE Monster which closed last week.

"There has been some speculation on Facebook that we are selling the Tropicana, and I think it is very important that we should all say from across the political spectrum that is not true," Mr Crockford-Hawley said.

"We have not put the Tropicana up for sale."

Head of placemaking and development Jenny Ford said the Tropicana is "not up for sale" but suspected the council would be interested if they were offered a large amount of money for the facility.

"We are getting approaches from people who are interested in the Tropicana, not necessarily to buy but to operate," she said.

"We want to talk to people whose ideas are viable. We as a council don't have money to keep ploughing into it."

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