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Saltdean lido set to close

12:10pm Friday 12th March 2010 in Blogs By Ruth Lumley

Saltdean lido set to close Saltdean lido set to close

One of the last lidos in Sussex is set to close for good.

The art deco Saltdean Lido, which has been an iconic seafront attraction for more than 70 years, will undergo a £12 million redevelopment if plans are approved.

Owner Dennis Audley, who is funding the project to create more than 100 apartments on the site, said his proposals would mean the loss-making outside swimming pool would be concreted over.

Yesterday, hundreds of people gathered at the community hall at Saltdean Lido, in Saltdean Park Road, to look at plans which are expected to be submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council in four weeks time.

Many voiced their dismay that there would not be any swimming pool for local residents.

Speaking at the event Mr Audley said the city’s weather did not make an outside pool viable.

He added:“In the early years we would take £60,000 in the open season for three months. Over the past three years it has been £4,000 a time.

“I have made a loss of £250,000 running the building over the past ten years and I just cannot finance it anymore.”

The redevelopment, which has been designed by architect Mark Strawbridge, from CAMplan, will include 102 apartments and community facilities including a library, similar to the Jubilee Library in Brighton.

The lido will become an enclosed space which will be filled in and could contain either a children's splash pool, be used for concerts or turned into an ice skating rink in the winter.

The Grade II Listed facade will remain largely untouched.

Comments(40)

Carl Bugenhagen says...
12:18pm Fri 12 Mar 10

Sounds like a rubbish idea. it's an iconic building, and if they treat it the way they did the 'Grand Ocean' it's going to look like a dogs dinner.

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Mart says...
12:40pm Fri 12 Mar 10

What a utterly stupid idea, which needs to be resisted.

The site should be taken over from the current leasholder and run like the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill,another iconic art deco building.

Let English Heritage pay for the up keep by turning into somethiong useful that can be used all year round, like an art gallery, or museum.

Saltdean does NOT want more cheap apartments plonked in the middle of such a high profile site.

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davyboy says...
12:43pm Fri 12 Mar 10

no one wants to pay the prices for outdoor pools nowadays, as we don't have the weather. why can't it be re-developed as an indoor pool? why does it ALWAYS have to be housing? what the area needs is a proper leisure pool, with wave machines and flumes.

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BringBackGoodGrammar says...
12:50pm Fri 12 Mar 10

davyboy wrote:
no one wants to pay the prices for outdoor pools nowadays, as we don't have the weather. why can't it be re-developed as an indoor pool? why does it ALWAYS have to be housing? what the area needs is a proper leisure pool, with wave machines and flumes.
good call.


Another decent building being raped by greedy developers. Look how long it took them to get rid of the apartments in the former French Convalescent Home. And that was when times were still good, economically.

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marinabloke says...
12:55pm Fri 12 Mar 10

did the developers actually sell all of the flats at grand ocean??

What a waste of another iconic building.

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Fight Back says...
1:00pm Fri 12 Mar 10

BringBackGoodGrammar wrote:
davyboy wrote:
no one wants to pay the prices for outdoor pools nowadays, as we don't have the weather. why can't it be re-developed as an indoor pool? why does it ALWAYS have to be housing? what the area needs is a proper leisure pool, with wave machines and flumes.
good call.


Another decent building being raped by greedy developers. Look how long it took them to get rid of the apartments in the former French Convalescent Home. And that was when times were still good, economically.
I think you're being a tad unfair there. The owner's made a 1/4 million loss over 10 years so he's clearly given it a go before taking this action. I wonder how many of the people saying it should stay as is or be converted to an indoor pool would fund the loses out of their own pocket. It's simple - use it or lose it - the local residents have failed to use it so now they'll lose it. Sad, but you can hardly blame the current owner for trying to stop his losses.

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Sweepster says...
1:06pm Fri 12 Mar 10

Check out what Brockwell Lido did back in the 90's.

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hahahehe says...
1:21pm Fri 12 Mar 10

yet another greedy land owner who think flats are the future

now lets list why he is losing money (as a user of this pool)

changing rooms - rubbish
staff- rubbish
food - rubbish

any ideas on why your losing money???? if the place was a1 then maybe people wouldnt mind paying for it not the dump it is

but shame to see it go not everyone likes the sea or wants to go to an indoor pool

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hahahehe says...
1:21pm Fri 12 Mar 10

yet another greedy land owner who think flats are the future

now lets list why he is losing money (as a user of this pool)

changing rooms - rubbish
staff- rubbish
food - rubbish

any ideas on why your losing money???? if the place was a1 then maybe people wouldnt mind paying for it not the dump it is

but shame to see it go not everyone likes the sea or wants to go to an indoor pool

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Gerro says...
1:41pm Fri 12 Mar 10

A doctor's surgery in a crappy portakabin in a car park. Another one which is open for about 4h a day and is overflowing with patients...no local indoor sports or leisure facilities of any note...this is what Saltdean needs, NOT more flats and more people and more cars and more burden on services that are already at a woeful level. Saltdean isn't a retirement community any more, and needs to start investing in what its residents need, not just trying to create more residents!!

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Skippah says...
2:53pm Fri 12 Mar 10

hahahehe wrote:
yet another greedy land owner who think flats are the future

now lets list why he is losing money (as a user of this pool)

changing rooms - rubbish
staff- rubbish
food - rubbish

any ideas on why your losing money???? if the place was a1 then maybe people wouldnt mind paying for it not the dump it is

but shame to see it go not everyone likes the sea or wants to go to an indoor pool
Or maybe it's because nobody wants to use an outdoor pool, we have decent weather for about 3 months a year.
.
I don't blame the guy, he's made losses, given it a chance and now wants to re coup the money that he's lost. If the flats are at an affordable price it would be great but even if they are not they will sell and the owner will make money as he's entitled to do.

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Duffman says...
3:50pm Fri 12 Mar 10

Terrible place. I went there with the family last year. Me, 2 daughters, mum and a baby. They wanted to charge mum full price to come in and sit on the grass with baby while the other 3 of us had a swim. We argued that it was outrageous and got a response that she is using the facilities so has to pay. So we all turned round and went down the beach for free. Their loss, on 3 swimming admissions, plus the tenner or so we would have spent on drinks and ice creams. Bad attitude, serves them right.

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sussexone says...
4:00pm Fri 12 Mar 10

Saltdean Lido, built 1937 - 38, DERELICT by 1958!

Re-opened 1998...

Just a quick look on the internet, even when it was built it wasn't profitable if it was derelict within 20 yrs!

History repeating itself, it will never pay as it is!

Better to re-develop it, maybe with an indoor pool.

Good luck to the owner I say, and s*d off to the moaners.

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bug eye says...
4:14pm Fri 12 Mar 10

look at the grand ocean hotel flats, still a lot empty and rumours of shipping in immigrants from outside the area to fill them up. new flats will only work if they are large luxury flats, this city does not need any more boxy nasty flats that will not last the test of time. why not build a small THEME PARK instead incorporating a pool, that would attract punters and money

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May Chang says...
4:51pm Fri 12 Mar 10

I don't think Saltdean needs any more flats. After the Grand Ocean development creating nearly 150 more homes or it could be more, the areas Schools and Doctors surgeries are over loaded as it is!! To even consider this idea is absolute rubbish!!! We need more community facilities not more flats!!!!!!! How about some lottery funding ? to save a fantastic building instead of turning it in to a lump of concrete like the Hotel.

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Carole Saltdean says...
5:07pm Fri 12 Mar 10

Please everyone in Brighton help us save our community centre that the council decided to lease to Mr Audley. This isn't about a piece of land that someone wants to develop into housing its about a community centre and art deco Lido being leased to someone who wants to knock it down and fill in the pool. Where will all the community groups meet? What will all the kids do? We need to get this building back so that the Community can have a centre. Where will this end if its allowed to happen in a Brighton suburb. Watch out the rest of the City as this could happen to you!

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Gerro says...
5:08pm Fri 12 Mar 10

Shipping in immigrants...did you put your Daily Mail down long enough to write that....what rubbish.

Grand Ocean is a vast improvement on what was there. I know several people living there, and the released buildings and hotel are pretty much full. However, that doesn't mean you should repeat the exercise with every other failed building in Saltdean. An old nursing home on Marine Drive is being converted into flats, 9 town houses in Rottingdean centre....it's just lazy, and the council should have some ambition for the residents of Saltdean and encourage something OTHER than endless new homes.

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yorkie44 says...
5:31pm Fri 12 Mar 10

If it cost £25k a year to run and he made £60K in the early years this seems like a good profit to me. If something was done to make it attractive to swim there with cafes at all times it would make a profit. This is part of our heritage and it should not be allowed to become housing.

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jagiwatch says...
5:34pm Fri 12 Mar 10

Totally Agree...

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jay316 says...
6:03pm Fri 12 Mar 10

I am sure the council will allow this to happen.. a few quid in the right pockets will secure its fate.!!

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tellystar says...
6:23pm Fri 12 Mar 10

Try heating the water for a change. Swimming in the sea is warmer than the lido. It has been run down since the present owner has had it. The lido had more custom when the council ran it so why not now? This should be turned down and run as a community centre.

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micklin says...
8:13pm Fri 12 Mar 10

It would apper that the new buzzword in Saltdean is NIMBYISM

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pun master says...
8:53pm Fri 12 Mar 10

Sounds to me like this guy may have let this place become deliberately run down so he can cry wolf and say he 'needs' to redevlop it for financial reasons - how much money has been invested in tidying it up and promoting it? I really hope I am wrong and just being cynical, but this kind of property 'asset stripping' has happened before...

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marinabloke says...
11:52pm Fri 12 Mar 10

let something get deliberately run down in order to redevlop??? oh now that sounds like the same strategy that x-leisure have used on brighton marina.. they haven't been putting up the rent for the retail units and resturants at an astronomical rate so units close down and are left empty... no that would never happen...

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sussexone says...
12:29am Sat 13 Mar 10

Carole Saltdean wrote:
Please everyone in Brighton help us save our community centre that the council decided to lease to Mr Audley. This isn't about a piece of land that someone wants to develop into housing its about a community centre and art deco Lido being leased to someone who wants to knock it down and fill in the pool. Where will all the community groups meet? What will all the kids do? We need to get this building back so that the Community can have a centre. Where will this end if its allowed to happen in a Brighton suburb. Watch out the rest of the City as this could happen to you!
Utter Rubbish!!!!!

The facade will remain, it's grade 2 listed.

Did you neglect to read the article, which states it will include flats AND improve facilities with a community LIBRARY similar to the Jubilee, possible indoor kids pool / skate ring / concerts etc etc...

Stop whingeing just because someone wants to improve what has always been a loss making underused facility.

Sounds to me they are planning to VASTLY improve facilties!

NIMBY!

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davyboy says...
9:23am Sat 13 Mar 10

Fight Back wrote:
BringBackGoodGrammar wrote:
davyboy wrote:
no one wants to pay the prices for outdoor pools nowadays, as we don't have the weather. why can't it be re-developed as an indoor pool? why does it ALWAYS have to be housing? what the area needs is a proper leisure pool, with wave machines and flumes.
good call.


Another decent building being raped by greedy developers. Look how long it took them to get rid of the apartments in the former French Convalescent Home. And that was when times were still good, economically.
I think you're being a tad unfair there. The owner's made a 1/4 million loss over 10 years so he's clearly given it a go before taking this action. I wonder how many of the people saying it should stay as is or be converted to an indoor pool would fund the loses out of their own pocket. It's simple - use it or lose it - the local residents have failed to use it so now they'll lose it. Sad, but you can hardly blame the current owner for trying to stop his losses.
no, not unfair, but truthful. outdoor pools have had their day, because the water is cold. re-development as an indoor would be the best use. if he had invested 1/4 million, then maybe the place would be more popular. the changing rooms are poor, the staff unhelpful, and food/drinks overpriced(to a captive audience).

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Lucky7 says...
2:54pm Sat 13 Mar 10

I know, how about a SaveSaltdeanAlone campaign - Free Saltean from the claws of Brighton (and Hove) so you're free to do what you want.......and reject any idea that doesn't coincide with a "Heatbeat" style golden era vaseline smeared lens'd view of the past. Or just move on and see what the best that can be negotiated on the site is and live your lives. NIMBY's

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Old Ladys Gin says...
4:50pm Sat 13 Mar 10

Given the rather lax personal hygiene of the Brits I haven't used a public swimming pool for donkeys.
But it is a pity the place is closing; especially that across in Dieppe they recently opened a brand new, heated sea water, indoor/outdoor pool - one where you are obliged to have a proper shower before entering, and use swimming caps etc..
The rented Speedos however don't seem to suit my elf like figure!!

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rpdutt says...
5:51pm Sat 13 Mar 10

Who says there's a decline in interest in outdoor swimming? There was, but now there's a revival, and simultaneously a greater understanding of the need to preserve our lidos, part of our seaside heritage.
Where do our parliamentary candidates stand on the issues?

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Christophe Hawtree says...
4:33pm Sun 14 Mar 10

Well, this is in the ward of the Leader of the Council, Mary Mears, of Lynda Hyde, the Chair of Planning, and of David Smith who is in charge of Culture and, of course, an enthusiast for challenging residents to duels.

So what attitude will they take to this proposal now that the campaigns are underway for next year's local Election?

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mark barrington says...
1:43pm Mon 15 Mar 10

saltdean is woefully short of facilities for the existing community, the
problem will only be exacerbated by this proposed development.

I feel the main reason for the present owners so called loss of income, is the fact that, there has been a lack of investment and promotion of the facilities. The building is now in a condition where it needs re-furbishing (a scheduled maintenance plan over the last 10 years would have avoided this!) too many old and historic buildings are left un-maintained nowadays till the
point is reached where they become extremely costly to bring back to their former glory.
Why is it, that time and time again this happens. Surely something should be done to prevent this situation, don't the owners of such property have a duty to up keep these buildings, after all what's the point of giving a building "listed status" if all that's going to happen, is the building is just left to rot.

The lido is an iconic building and as such needs preserving. No more flats please.

Mark

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cwest says...
1:49pm Mon 15 Mar 10

I agree! I think it would be a tragedy for the lido to be closed. It has definitely been run into the ground. There has been no money spent on it - just botched jobs for as little money as possible. I love swimming in the pool and lidos are having a revival. It's an iconic building and an important Saltdean landmark that should be restored and preserved not turned in yet more boring flats.

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shad says...
9:04am Wed 17 Mar 10

I studied the proposals at the exhibition & received very useful answers to my concerns & was pleased to hear that the original Lido building is to be retained! The Community will clearly be getting a new community centre within the original listed building and a new state of the ark library. A new health club is also proposed with a conference centre below. Perhaps it could be suggested that the conference centre be replaced with an indoor pool and also a room to be used as a youth club. Clearly Mr Audley is trying to create a site which can be used by the community ALL the year round without being dependant on a few days of good weather. The idea of a temporary ice rink in the winter period would also be a great asset to the local community and help to create further activities for the youth in the area. As to the state of the building it appears to me that this is mainly due to the type of construction and its proximity to the sea front. Clearly major improvement costs and the provision of the additional facilities will need to be financed by the provision of apartments. Surely everyone should realise that this could become a land mark again for the 21st Century and should therefore be encouraged by constructed, informed, suggestions rather than uninformed criticism from people afraid of change.

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Mart says...
4:35pm Wed 17 Mar 10

shad wrote:
I studied the proposals at the exhibition & received very useful answers to my concerns & was pleased to hear that the original Lido building is to be retained! The Community will clearly be getting a new community centre within the original listed building and a new state of the ark library. A new health club is also proposed with a conference centre below. Perhaps it could be suggested that the conference centre be replaced with an indoor pool and also a room to be used as a youth club. Clearly Mr Audley is trying to create a site which can be used by the community ALL the year round without being dependant on a few days of good weather. The idea of a temporary ice rink in the winter period would also be a great asset to the local community and help to create further activities for the youth in the area. As to the state of the building it appears to me that this is mainly due to the type of construction and its proximity to the sea front. Clearly major improvement costs and the provision of the additional facilities will need to be financed by the provision of apartments. Surely everyone should realise that this could become a land mark again for the 21st Century and should therefore be encouraged by constructed, informed, suggestions rather than uninformed criticism from people afraid of change.
Thank you for your attempt to sell the plan, but the point is that as well as not wanting to see the Lido go, Saltdean DOES NOT WANT APARTMENTS PUT INTO SUCH A CENTRAL HIGH PROFILE SITE.

Give the site to English Heritage to run, like the De La Warr in Bexhill, as they wont need to flog shoebox apartments in order to make the site viable

Geddit ?

Good

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Lucky7 says...
5:49pm Wed 17 Mar 10

Er, Mart, at least Shad went to see the plans and took the time to explain what he thinks (plus a positive view is such a joy on this website). English Heritage just don't take over anything and it still needs viability for them to do so. And this is not the De La Warr pavillion, nor sea front Bexhill, so you can't compare. Whilst developing apartments isn't always the answer, Saltdean is a suburb, and by definition should be full of places to live.
Geddit?
No you probably never will....

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Mart says...
8:16pm Wed 17 Mar 10

Lucky7 wrote:
Er, Mart, at least Shad went to see the plans and took the time to explain what he thinks (plus a positive view is such a joy on this website). English Heritage just don't take over anything and it still needs viability for them to do so. And this is not the De La Warr pavillion, nor sea front Bexhill, so you can't compare. Whilst developing apartments isn't always the answer, Saltdean is a suburb, and by definition should be full of places to live. Geddit? No you probably never will....
Yup - but just not on that site.

Got it now ??

Good...

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Carl Bugenhagen says...
9:33am Thu 18 Mar 10

Needs to be a community centre, Saltdean does need a proper doctor's surgery, there are lots of options. 100 flats is grossly out of proportion to the site. The building is iconic, the symbol of Saltdean, but they'll want to build flats with sea views and be asking for some skyscraper.. The council never insist on useful community projects as part of these deals. They didn't even think to insist the volks railway was extended into the Marina. No imagination.

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Lucky7 says...
10:03am Thu 18 Mar 10

Mart wrote:
Lucky7 wrote: Er, Mart, at least Shad went to see the plans and took the time to explain what he thinks (plus a positive view is such a joy on this website). English Heritage just don't take over anything and it still needs viability for them to do so. And this is not the De La Warr pavillion, nor sea front Bexhill, so you can't compare. Whilst developing apartments isn't always the answer, Saltdean is a suburb, and by definition should be full of places to live. Geddit? No you probably never will....
Yup - but just not on that site. Got it now ?? Good...
...and you are fully qualified for that decision? And speak for all parties concerned? And represent everyones view? No? Well that's what the exhibition, debate, negotiation, any planning application and compromise should address. No one likes being dictated to by one idealogical, opinionated and (IMHB) narrow minded individual. So let others speak.
Got it now? It's called democracy.

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Mart says...
10:45am Thu 18 Mar 10

Lucky7 wrote:
Mart wrote:
Lucky7 wrote: Er, Mart, at least Shad went to see the plans and took the time to explain what he thinks (plus a positive view is such a joy on this website). English Heritage just don't take over anything and it still needs viability for them to do so. And this is not the De La Warr pavillion, nor sea front Bexhill, so you can't compare. Whilst developing apartments isn't always the answer, Saltdean is a suburb, and by definition should be full of places to live. Geddit? No you probably never will....
Yup - but just not on that site. Got it now ?? Good...
...and you are fully qualified for that decision? And speak for all parties concerned? And represent everyones view? No? Well that's what the exhibition, debate, negotiation, any planning application and compromise should address. No one likes being dictated to by one idealogical, opinionated and (IMHB) narrow minded individual. So let others speak. Got it now? It's called democracy.
Well 3500+ people, and rising, have already registered their opposition to this scheme, including a local prospective Member of Parliament, so it looks like the 'democracy' you want is already prevailing.

Good luck with your grubby little money making venture - you're going to need it.

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Lucky7 says...
12:18pm Thu 18 Mar 10

I have nothing to do with this proposal, and couldn't care how many oppose or not, and to be honest whatever the outcome is, is unlikely to effect me, except my council tax being spent on resources, etc, to deal with it. What I dislike is your rudeness and beligerence at anyone not sharing your point of view, regardless. You come over a rather pathetic, insult hurling little person. Good luck with that. You're going to need it.

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