The vision
There is a resurgence in outdoor swimming, and as a result outdoor pools across the UK have been unable to cope with demand. There are so few outdoor pools, to cater for so many, that most facilities are full to capacity and are operating on a one-in, one-out basis at peak times.
Throughout the UK there are campaigns to reinstate lost and disused lidos. Wales falls very short, with only Lido-Ponty returning to use, a few years ago.
With the increasing demand for people to swim, bathe and de-stress in outdoor facilities all over the UK, a new Abergavenny facility would help to tap into this increasing potential revenue stream. This would attract elite athletes, competitions and events, add further attractions for tourists, local people and the wider community and those with interests in other events such as the Abergavenny food and cycling festivals.
The Abergavenny Lido Group envisages a new facility, open daily, throughout the year, providing different types of swimming and water based activities, which could change seasonally.
The facility would be multi-functional, able to accommodate and host other activities as well. With a proposed 25m pool it would attract and host competitions and events.
The Abergavenny Lido Group has also run a petition which has collected several thousand signatures online and face-to-face.
A proposed site layout is shown below.
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We are looking at the way similar facilities operate around the UK. We have ideas about what we would like to include in a new outdoor pool facility, and have consulted with members of the public, to see what sorts of things they would like at this stage, and a feasibility study was completed in October 2022.
We need to consider all of our options and want to bring back a facility that will provide alternative and complementary choices to those that already exist in the area.
We want to build an outdoor swimming facility open all year round that will be unique to the area, well used, and will enhance people's experiences of swimming, especially during the summer months.
Rebuilding an outdoor pool facility in Bailey Park would enhance the area and would not act in direct conflict with the indoor facility attached to King Henry VIII School. Indoor and outdoor facilities can work together to bring more leisure activities to Abergavenny.
A viable quality restaurant/café could operate throughout the day and through the seasons. This would increase footfall to the park, which in turn could encourage other groups to use the park facility regularly.