Funding call for historic Lido

AN ONLINE funding appeal has been launched by a group looking to reopen an 82-year-old Brynaman landmark.

Brynaman Lido was paid for and built by miners in the 1930s, and was open every summer between 1934 and 2009.

However, in 2010 following a particularly cold winter, Carmarthenshire County Council announced that it would not be opening the pool that summer. Damage caused by the cold weather would have cost an estimated £20,000 to repair, compared to the annual budget of £3,000.

However, revised estimates carried out during the course of that year put the repair bill at £100,000, and the pool has remained closed since.

A lack of maintenance over the last six years means that the bill for returning the Lido to full working order is likely to significantly exceed the original estimates.

The Bynaman Lido Committee has launched an appeal to raise £3,000, which will be spent on feasibility studies and the necessary research required before applying for grants and funding.

The Lido Committee has already been active in showing the strength of local support for the Lido. Last year a successful open day was held, where people were encouraged to attend with their memories of the pool in its heyday.

While Carmarthenshire County Council currently retains ownership of the pool, it has previously said that it will be unable to fund the cost of repairs. In the current economic climate, a third sector organisation has increasingly become the only hope for the Lido’s future.

A similar scheme, led by Rhonda Cynon Taf Council allowed Pontypridd Lido to reopen last year, after being closed since 1991. The refurbishment of Pontypridd Lido was largely funded by the Welsh Government and Heritage Lottery money.

Phil Broadhurst, a member of the Brynaman Lido Committee, told The Herald that the eventual aim was to turn the Lido into a natural swimming pool, which would be both more environmentally friendly and easier to maintain.

Citing the success of the open day held last July, Mr Broadhurst said there was ‘massive interest’ in the project in the Brynaman area.

“There’s so much love for the pool – it’s not just nostalgia, people want to see it open again,” he added.

Referring to the history of the Lido, Mr Broadhurst said that there was still a strong sense of loyalty felt in the local community towards the volunteers who originally built it.

Acknowledging that the pool would require significant expenditure and work after six years out of use, he stressed that “we’re not telling people; give us £10 and we’ll reopen the pool.

“It will need major funding, but we need a little bit of initial funding for a feasibility study before we can apply for grants,” he added.