The lido in Ipswich, aka Broomhill Pool was opened in 1938. It was thought to be one of the best pools of the time. It closed in 2002 to the disdain of many. There is a campaign to save and restore it though.
There are two pools at the Lido – a small child’s pool and a larger & deeper adult pool – they’re both full of crap. The deep end of the adult pool has four diving boards.
On one side of the pool there is a “beach” area, for resting between swims and sunbathing. It was hard to imagine on a cold winter’s morning.
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I loved this pool. I would still go now even tho I used to go loads when I was young. I did think, this year, on the hot days what a shame I couldnt go for a swim to cool off. The prices did go up and so this put alot off from going.
Please open it soon.
The Executive of Ipswich Borough Council met on December 15th 2009 and took only a few moments to vote the one million pounds, (previously pledged towards the restoration), off the table.
The Executive also considered an All Options report and chose Option 2 which is the possible transfer to an outside operator: the proposed recommendation was that “Executive resolves to support pursuing Option 2, namely the transfer of Broomhill Pool to an alternative provider.”
Three possible operators have expressed an interest in the lido but Cllr Terry said they had all been informed that there was no money available to them from the council. It therefore remains to be seen what will happen early next year (2010). The three companies have been given until 10th February 2010 to submit proposals to Ipswich Borough Council.
I personally feel that the advertisement for Expressions of Interest was very carefully timed for the late autumn of 2009, because the offer of the million pounds was due to expire on 31st December 2009. The council must have known that no company could get a bid together before Christmas.
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Paul Geater’s latest articles on Broomhill Pool have been heavily slanted in the council’s favour, with the Ipswich Advertiser in particular, really going overboard with its “High Hopes for Broomhill Pool” story in the Thursday December 24th 2009 edition. (Star Advertiser – Ipswich edition)
Where was Mr Geater, for example, when the council were trying to fill the pool in last year (Christmas 2008) with thousands of pounds worth of sand and granular infill? Why is there no journalistic balance to his reporting on this particular issue?
This Grade II Listed pool has now been left deliberately and needlessly derelict by Ipswich Borough Council for over seven years, so vague and fluffy “hopes” that “the pool could be open for business again in the summer of 2013″ are meaningless without the backing of a signed and sealed contract with an outside leisure operator.
It is astonishing that the council’s decision to advertise for Expressions of Interest is being hailed as some kind of miraculous breakthrough, when this is a course of action that could have been adopted at any point over the last seven years. Ipswich Borough Council could have advertised whilst the pool was still open in 2001/2002 and therefore handed over a going concern to a leisure company.
Instead operators are now being offered a property which has been repeatedly vandalized whilst in the council’s care and left neglected.
It is therefore almost certain that the council will have to provide some kind of funding towards the pool’s initial restoration if it wants to see the Broomhill Pool saga come to some kind of conclusion.
In the run up to the 2005 General Election the council offered a million pounds towards the pool’s refurbishment; in the run up to the 2010 General Election the council have neatly taken that money away again! That may be the Conservatives’ idea of progress, but it certainly isn’t mine, because in the intervening years the fabric of the pool has suffered further deterioration and attack.
What will 2010 bring for this part of Suffolk’s heritage?
The Council stated that three operators had decided to pursue a bid for the Broomhill Pool site. The “Expressions of Interest” advertisement simply referred to ‘recreational use’ and not specifically swimming.
The potential operators have until February 10th 2010 to submit their plans and then the Council must examine their options. So this really is a crucial time for the Broomhill Lido.
I am writing this comment as i have had enough of reading paul geaters negative remarks on our towns most precious asset or should be? Once again i read the council have found £3 million for crown pools and also funds for fore street baths.It is now time to get your act together and get this lido up and running for the 2012 games, just look at the revenue it will bring to town
I am now definitely standing in the General Election in Ipswich as an Independent Candidate, with Broomhill Pool as the single issue.
Please make sure you are on the Electoral Register if you would like to vote to support the pool.
while ive been reading these comments on the site ive been outraged that they can afford to buy for it to be refilled but yet not to open it , i mean who in there right mind has the choice to say “oh lets fill it up , no one wants to use this shithole again.” i used to love the pool with a passion , i used to go there with my family and by myslef and i went there the day it closed in 2002 , it was heartbreaking to see it close .
another thing that really pissed me off is that they can finally pay money out to get crown pools and fore street to be done up but yet not broomhill , broomhill made this town a great place to live, being allowed to swim in the summer sun with no cares ..
this needs to be sorted out .. i want broomhill to be open again
To Tasha and anyone else who would like to see Broomhill Pool open again:-
The full text of my election leaflet is on-line; this site won’t allow links but just google Broomhill Pool
I noticed in an earlier entry that the magic figure of four million pounds was mentioned, and that the fear was it would possibly be utilised for a project in Holywells Park. Didn’t get there, did it? No. Crown Pools has recently had a refurb. Cost? Guess. Yup. Four million pounds. Strange, eh? I wouldn’t swim in Crown Pools if you bloody paid me. We have always seem to have got a council in Ipswich that ALWAYS ignores the wants of it’s citizens. ALWAYS. They think they know best, but they DO NOT. EVER. Just think of the closure of the airport that was ‘never used’, instigated by Cllr. Ball, who hated aircraft, which is not a good reason. But the council know best, nanny, nanny, nanny,
Don’t give up the fight! These people need smacking down, big time.
I noticed in an earlier entry that the magic figure of four million pounds was mentioned, and that the fear was it would possibly be utilised for a project in Holywells Park. Didn’t get there, did it? No. Crown Pools has recently had a refurb. Cost? Guess. Yup. Four million pounds. Strange, eh? I wouldn’t swim in Crown Pools if you bloody paid me. We have always seem to have got a council in Ipswich that ALWAYS ignores the wants of it’s citizens. ALWAYS. They think they know best, but they DO NOT. EVER. Just think of the closure of the airport that was ‘never used’, instigated by Cllr. Ball, who hated aircraft, which is not a good reason. But the council know best, nanny, nanny, nanny,
Don’t give up the fight! These people need smacking down, big time.
The development agency, Choose Suffolk, has launched a new website on Suffolk Icons.
Currently, Broomhill Pool is the top icon so please log on to view the entry for the lido and to vote for it.
http://www.suffolkicons.com
I read in the Ipswich Evening Star [26/07/10], that several different parties were bidding to buy the pool. This is good news, surely? There was also a fair bit of bumph about IBC trying to save the place. What a Crock, as the Americans say. I also noticed that the sale was a ‘Closed Tender’. This seems a bit sinister, but maybe I’m reading too much into this, but I’m fond of the odd conspiracy! Here’s hoping that someone sensible purchases the pool and gets it back to it’s former glory. It’s an odd place in town, but one that has great memories of my long-vanished childhood.
A national newspaper has already named one of the bidders as Fusion Lifestyle and the Council won’t get a better bid than that. Fusion run a number of leisure facilities including Brockwell Park Lido and the newly restored Uxbridge Lido.
thanks god there finally doing something about it , i mean it now taking them a good 6/7 years to start doing something about the pool but yet Beccles Lido opened today after 2 years of being closed so it goes to show other concils do something about it but are so called concil spend the money on stupid ponitless things like doing up Crown pools and like Mr Waverly perviosly said wouldnt ever set foot into that pool ever again , if im that bothered to swim im going to Feilxstowe pool because its much cleaner and safer there and plus they have a side
finger crossed they get a right bid that finally gets this pool finally opened