Published at 13:18, Sunday, 30 September 2012

By Richard MachinA PLEA has been issued for the return of public swimming in a South Lakeland town.

Council bosses have been urged to investigate the possibility of bringing a pool back to Grange as part of plans to redevelop the town’s Edwardian lido.

The call was made during the full meeting of South Lakeland District Council’s on Thursday.

Council members had been welcoming plans to build more than 100 affordable homes at Berners Close.

The development will also see the demolition of the £3 million Berners Pool, which closed in 2007.

Cartmel representative Councillor Mary Wilson said she applauded the scheme, describing it as “long awaited”.

But she said: “The trouble is that children in Cartmel can’t swim unless they have rich enough parents to drive them to Kendal or Ulverston.

“We are building a huge problem for the future. I do understand it’s aspirational to look at this option when restoring the lido but I would urge people to consider it carefully.”

The land at Berners Close will be sold to Two Castles Housing Association for the new affordable homes development to go ahead.

Land at the town’s old nursery site will also be sold to make way for open market housing.

Money from the sales will then be used to launch a bid for Heritage Lottery Funding to find a new use for the derelict Grade II listed lido.

Councillor Stan Collins said he believed the building, which closed in 1993, could once again become a swimming facility for the people of the area.

He told the meeting: “We were told it was cracked and couldn’t be used any more, but when it came to demolishing it suddenly it was too strong.

“The fact is that it’s a very important building and is something I believe could still be developed to provide a swimming facility in the future.’’

SLDC will now team up with Grange Town Council to help secure funding for the new homes. They will be a mixture of socially rented and part ownership properties.

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