THE country’s only Grade II* listed lido will not re-open to swimmers this summer after a dispute with the council and the British weather stepped in.

The restored 1937 swimming pool at the Saltdean Lido was due to reopen this year but swimmers will have to wait until next Easter to dip their toe.

Saltdean Lido CIC chairwoman Rebecca Crook said campaigners could look on the bright side as the extra preparation time would allow the facility to have a bigger and brighter opening next year.

And there are further reasons to cheer with plans for the restoration of the lido building being drawn up and set to be submitted to the council within the next couple of months.

Work on the £2.3 million project to restore the site’s 40 foot swimming pool with heated water began in January this year but has been slowed by poor weather over the winter.

Additional delays have been endured by the campaign in bringing a power supply to the site.

The CIC claimed they were assured by the city council when they took over the seafront attraction that an existing electricity substation could meet all their power supply needs.

An adopt a brick campaign launched to fund the £70,000 costs for a new substation is close to hitting its target with a wall of personalised bricks set to be constructed in time for an open day in October for residents to see the progress being made.

The CIC also has an in-principle agreement with the Heritage Lottery Fund for £4.8 million to create a gym, cafe/restaurant, library and community meeting rooms.

Plans for this part of the regeneration project are set to be with council officers within two months.

Ms Crook said: “Because of the problems with the substation it meant that our contractors started on site quite a bit later than scheduled.

“We hoped they could make up time but the weather hasn’t been that great and it’s quite a complex project and so it’s not going to finish until summer is over.

“We need to submit a planning application as part of our Heritage Lottery Fund bid and that is pretty much ready to go and we will probably be in a position to submit that at the end of May or start of June.

“We are moving forward and in some ways an opening next year will be bigger and better because the children’s pool will be finished and it will give us a lot more time for testing and getting the grounds in good condition.”