Council puts pyramid-shaped beach pool up for sale

A pyramid-shaped swimming pool with a troubled past has been put up for sale.

The Oasis Beach Pool in Bedford opened in 1991 as a family-friendly destination, but the borough council is now seeking a "long-term partner" to acquire and regenerate the site on Cardington Road.

The authority proposed the closure of the facility last year, shortly after spending more than £330,000 on improvements.

It said the site would be retained for leisure use.

Its pyramid structure became a familiar feature of the built environment, but it became expensive to maintain.

In November 2023, the Oasis closed for "necessary repairs" - originally for six months.

The council spent £338,000 on the work.

By November 2024, the council was faced with the choice of spending £900,000 a year to keep the site going - or close it altogether.

At the time, the leader of the Liberal Democrats on the council said spending such a sum of taxpayer funds on a building earmarked for closure was "a complete waste of money".

The 6.5 acre (2.6 hectare) beach pool is currently operated by a charitable social enterprise.

Sarah Gallagher, Bedford Borough Council's portfolio holder for leisure, said: "We are looking for a partner who can bring fresh vision and energy to this important site while respecting its leisure heritage.

"Oasis Beach Pool has been a much-loved facility and as part of our leisure strategy, we have committed to protecting the site for leisure use for future generations of residents and visitors."

The agents, Colliers, said the council would consider proposals that involved repurposing or demolishing the buildings as long as they were replaced with an alternative leisure facility.

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