Major steps taken to restore Saltcoats forgotten outdoor pool
Local campaigners have drained the lido and are hoping to restore it back to its former glory.
Last updated 2nd Nov 2022
One of Saltcoats nostalgic attractions is on its way to being restored and re-opened for public use.
Locals in the seaside town of North Ayrshire have been campaigning for months to bring back the Saltcoats outdoor pool, and have now made major progress after the local authority made the first steps to draining the area.
Originally opening in 1933, the pool (or Lido) closed in the 1980’s after indoor heated swimming became an attractive alternative to people taking a dip in the cold waters of Saltcoats harbour.
However, after a resurgence in wild swimming and its health benefits across the nation in recent years, residents who are part of the group behind bringing back the old attraction believe there couldn’t be a better time to do so.
Councillor Jim Montgomerie is one of the four members of the splash group. He says since the news broke that they were trying to restore the lido, he’s had widespread interest and that’s before any physical work has been carried out.
He told Clyde 1: “I’ve been inundated with wild swimmers, with paddleboarders who want to come and use the pool, and with the likes of myself who loves swimming but is very cautious about swimming in open water, a pool like this that is enclosed makes it far safer.
“The demand has been huge, especially within the local community, and even further afield. As I said we’ve ben inundated with people wanting to come use the pool when its done, and I’ve also had people who’ve contacted me saying they learnt to swim there maybe 40 or 50 years ago so it really has been amazing so far.”
Now that the North Ayrshire Council have opened the gate to start draining the area, it’s now time to get engineer and architects in to assess the unused swimming pool.
Speak to Clyde 1, Chair of the splash group, Irene Campbell said they are hoping to get people in to assess it before the end of the year, and they have taken Scandinavian influence on their potential designs.
She said concepts are just around the corner and looks forward to showing locals soon to see their reaction and wants it to become North Ayrshire’s next big attraction.
She said: “It will provide another place for local people to go so we can all get healthier if we’re swimming more. It’s also from a tourist perspective. There is a UK Network of Lidos so once this one is open we’ll probably get people from across the country just coming to use it.
The design concepts should be ready around the start of new year for us to show to the local community and get their reaction. From there, we’ll be looking to pull together certain funding bids to get the pool up and running.”