A CAMPAIGN group committed to restoring an iconic South Lakes lido have had permission to access the site to complete its research.

Save Grange Lido (SGL) presented its business plan for the swimming pool to South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) yesterday.

The lido closed in 1993 and although owners SLDC plan to invest nearly £2m to save the structure, its plans do not include restoring the pool.

But the group wants to bring the lido back and has undertaken research to produce a business plan which proposes a pool, restaurant, café and spa.

It claims it would run at a surplus of £100,000 per annum and would cease to be dependent on tax payers.

Phil Bradby, chair of SGL said: “We presented our report and business plan to the councillors which, like previous studies funded by SLDC, shows a lido with a pool would be viable and a valuable addition to the local economy.”

However, a spokesman for SLDC said any studies which had shown a pool option would be viable had ‘inflated’ the amount of visitors required to make a pool option work. Our report shows that restoring the lido with a pool is the only sensible and realistic option,”

Mr Bradby said. “We are concerned that alternative plans will create a white elephant. People don’t want a temporary fix, consultations have all shown there is strong demand for a lido with a pool at its heart.”

An SLDC spokesman said they welcomed the business plan and would respond to key points.

“The campaigners and their professional advisors will have access to the lido site to complete their research,” they said.

They added that several studies concluded that retaining the pool was not viable. It will be moving forward to sympathetically restore the lido.

“This includes a temporary infill of the pool which would not preclude future plans for the site,” the spokesman said.