Battle to save Lymington Lido (From This is Hampshire)

Battle to save Lymington Lido

10:20am Wednesday 17th June 2009

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By Chris Yandell »

CAMPAIGNERS have launched a bid to secure the future of one of the oldest outdoor swimming pools in the country.

Lymington’s sea water baths usually open from May to September but this year its doors have remained firmly shut.

As revealed by the Daily Echo in April, health and safety problems have limited the time it will be in use this summer.

The 176-year-old baths, said to be the largest on the south coast, are regarded as the perfect place to cool off when temperatures soar. But the 90-metre pool is currently empty.

Now keen swimmer Cynthia Covey has started a petition in an attempt to get its owners, the town council, to open it as soon as possible.

She is angry that work needed has not been done while the baths have been closed over the winter.

She said: “My main beef is that it wasn’t sorted out over the winter. They’ve had since last summer to do it.”

Deputy mayor Councillor Paul Hickman said the council had received health and safety advice that there was a rusty handrail in the pool which could cause a cut, there were cracks in the pool wall and boards missing in the fence, which meant someone could get in when the pool was closed.

In addition, there were weeds between the blocks around the pool.

He said: “We were without a town clerk for eight months and many of the tasks that were needed to be done were simply not programmed. I can’t give a definite date for re-opening at the moment as we are subject to a health and safety audit and obviously we can’t go against that otherwise corporate responsibility would be compromised.”

He said he hoped it would be open by the start of the school holidays in July.

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