THE re-opening of a much-loved historic lido remains in doubt with campaigners and the council at loggerheads over funding.

Saltdean Lido was set to be part re-opened next summer following millions of pounds of funding from various sources.

However, it was announced on Friday the project is on hold after it was discovered there was not enough electricity on site.

Lido bosses now need to find an estimated £70,000 to pay for a new electricity substation.

A crunch meeting was held on Friday between Brighton and Hove City Council and Saltdean Lido Community Interest Company (CIC) representatives following which the local authority offered a £10,227 "top-up loan" towards the substation.

Geoff Raw, acting chief executive for the local authority, added that the CIC has £50,000 of "contingency funding" which could be used towards the total cost, bringing them close to the target.

But Rebecca Crook, chairwoman of the Saltdean Lido Community Interest Company (CIC), said they were told in July that the council would "do everything they could" to help meet the costs. She said the £10,227 loan offer did not go far enough adding that the lack of support from the council could jeopardise the whole project.

Speaking yesterday, she stressed the CIC did not have the funds for the substation and said it would be "utterly irresponsible" to deplete already low reserve project funds.

She said: "We are already running at only five per cent contingency, below the average ten per cent.

"From the information they have seen, they somehow think you can take some money from the contingency and use that.

"The council would not run a project like that. Why should we?"

She added bidders for the project were told there was a substation.

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown, is also backing the campaigners and called on the council to do more.

Mr Raw emailed councillors on Saturday to update them on the latest regarding the project.

He told how officers were "impressed" by CIC's work in securing several million pounds worth of funding so far.

But he added the previous council had awarded CIC the project "on basis that the CIC would secure all the funding itself and deliver the project without further recourse to council funds".

He said he had been advised the council has no legal obligation to fund the substation.