Charity-run lido reopens after refurbishment

A charity-run outdoor swimming pool is opening again to the public following the refurbishment of its plant room.

Beccles Lido, in Suffolk, closed in October for work which saw the replacement of its filter tanks, which had been operational since 1975.

The £350,000 restoration has seen the instillation of a microfiltration plant which the pool's operators said had helped to reduce running costs.

Matt Day, 32, general manager at the lido, said they hoped the renovation would help "keep the admission fee lower" as it would use "less water, less chemicals, [and] less gas heating the water".

The government's Community Ownership Fund granted the swimming pool £280,000.

An extra £25,000 was given by Garfield Western which the lido said helped them to buy a more "sustainable" option.

"We were able to go for a much more expensive, but much better, solution and it will make our water cleaner than ever and help us to become more sustainable," Mr Day said.

Last year, dozens of solar panels were installed at the lido, together with a new all-weather, heated canopy to provide shelter during the colder months.

Mr Day said the project had also seen the replacement of its chemical control and chlorination system.

"It is cleaning the water far more efficiently and removing a lot more from the water than the old-style sand filters were," he said.

The lido said it would be increasing the temperature of the water to 18C this winter, rising to 25C at times "to treat customers" following the closure.

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