A year round heated lido for New Brighton? And what does it mean for us?

Well, apart from being able to visit if it comes to pass, it's another example, along with the One West Kirby project we reported on earlier this month, of trying to make things happen for the local community - as George Morgan reports.

The woman in charge of a major lido project wants a 50-metre outdoor swimming pool in New Brighton.

Deborah Aydon, who runs 'The People's Pool' through social enterprise Our Lido Ltd, said her goal is to deliver a heated, year-round lido, complete with a cafe, spa and spaces which can be used by community groups.

New Brighton did have an open-air swimming pool from June 13, 1934, when it was opened by Viscount Leverhulme, until 1990 when it was damaged beyond repair by a storm.

For many, the loss of the pool was a sign of the resort's decline.

Ms Aydon said: "Lots of people were gutted when a lido wasn't delivered along with the Marine Point development.

"The lido was central to New Brighton and a lot of people feel aggrieved that they haven't got it anymore."

But Ms Aydon was clear that New Brighton is where she wants the outdoor pool to be, not just because of its history, but also due to its present state.

She could not however confirm what Our Lido's future plans will be.

She added: "We would love it to be in New Brighton, as would the majority of people locally that we have spoken to.

"There is a certain amount of suspicion, so we are being careful not to over promise and we cannot guarantee anything yet.

"But New Brighton is really buzzing again. There was a decline in the late twentieth century, but it is starting to come back with Marine Point and the work Rockpoint Leisure are doing [in Victoria Square].

"Bars, shops, street art, independent shops, there's loads of great things going on."

A key question given the failure to secure a lido in New Brighton in recent years is will the sums add up, or will this venture fold as others have done in the past?

Our Lido has managed to secure funding to help answer this question.

Wirral Council awarded the company £80,000 last March as a contribution towards feasibility studies.

This has caused consternation within the New Brighton Coastal Community Team (NBCCT), who say they have not received such generosity from the authority when seeking support for other schemes in the seaside town.

It is understood that the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) gave Our Lido Ltd £12,500 of pre-development funding.

Ms Aydon said: "We have been working on this and have been developing a businesses model to look at how it would run year-round.

"It is partly about demand and there does seem to be huge demand in New Brighton."

The other aspect of the plan which Ms Aydon hopes will make it work is additional attractions which could come with the lido.

She added: "We're asking the community what other facilities they'd like to see on site, and the most popular so far are a café, sun terraces/space for outdoor events and activities, a hot tub/sauna, yoga/exercise studios, and a spa.

"[In addition to] providing a hub for the community year-round, this mixed offer helps to make sure the pool is financially sustainable outside of the peak summer months."

Those hoping the project will work can draw inspiration from other parts of the UK according to Ms Aydon.

She continued: "In recent years there has been a revival in outdoor swimming pools.

"These range from the large London pools like London Fields and Brockwell lidos to small towns and villages from Buckfastleigh in Devon to Hathersage in Derbyshire.

"[There are also] many pools which have been important engines for local regeneration, such as Jubilee Pool in Penzance and Lido Ponty in Pontypridd."

My Aydon's own experience in delivering cultural projects should also be noted.

She was the chief executive of the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse theatres for 15 years, leading on the project which fully rebuilt the iconic Everyman Theatre.

So for those longing for the return of a lido in New Brighton there is hope, but this should be tempered by realism as any progress on the plans will not be immediate.

Cllr Anita Leech, chair of Wirral Council's economy and regeneration committee, commented on Our Lido's plans and the criticism from NBCCT last week.

The Labour councillor said: "The consultation on the future of New Brighton saw hundreds of people and organisations responding with a significant number of positive proposals and suggestions for the future of the town.

"These are now being analysed to develop a masterplan to guide the future development of the seaside resort.

"The consultation was carried out to ensure that the voices of those who live and work in New Brighton, as well as those who visit, are fully reflected in any proposals for the town.

"This was an initial, first stage, consultation to get people's ideas and we will be going out again for people's views as the masterplan is developed."

The LCRCA was approached for comment, but did not wish to respond.