AN ONLINE army has been venting its frustration at a council's unwillingness to consider restoring an iconic South Lakeland attraction to its former glory.

The once-popular lido at Grange-over-Sands has stood idle for three decades, and South Lakeland District Council held a consultation last month to revitalise the site.

But for many, the omission of an option to refurbish the lido as an outdoor swimming facility was notable in its absence and has angered hundreds of people.

A Facebook page called Save Grange Lido has gathered nearly 2,000 supporters, wanting the Grade II listed location to be refurbished to its former use. In recent days, the page has been bombarded with posts and comments urging the council to reconsider.

Supporter Phil Bradby is critical of SLDC not retaining the pool saying the lack of a swimming facility defeats the purpose of the lido.

"Our concern with the present ideas is that they all seem to involve filling in the swimming pool," he said. "In order to have any meaning as a lido, the pool needs water in it and to be available for swimming at least part of the year.

"Without this, it ceases to be a lido and ceases to have any value or meaning. This would be a real loss for the community and dramatically reduces its viability as people would not visit a waterless lido."

Grange resident Melissa Harrington said that a refurbished lido would bring a host of benefits to the town and wider area.

"At a time when the Government is trying to combat obesity and promote community it seems very short-sighted that Grange’s greatest asset and tourist attraction should remain closed, with an option for demolition on the most recent survey," she said. "The lido is not only an art deco architectural gem but also a valuable attraction.

"Perhaps SLDC will now carefully consider all suggestions made by the local people in order to come to a mutual resolution about the future of this key part of Grange’s cultural heritage."

There is evidence of outdoor swimming enjoying something of a renaissance. The Jubilee Pool at Penzance in Cornwall was left in tatters following major storms a few years ago. But local councils, community groups, and private organisations rallied round to fund a near-£3 million restoration project.

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Key to this was a windfall of nearly £2 million from the Coastal Communities Grant. The verdict from those involved is that it was well worth the time, and money, invested.

Cornwall Council's cabinet member for resources, Adam Paynter, was heavily involved in the process. He said the 'much-loved' attraction would soon be paying for itself.

"It's been massive," he said. "I think there's been a four-fold increase in usage on where they were before it was damaged. There's now plans to make it open all-year round.

"There's a cafe on site which has been very successful and contributes towards the pool. The entry fees have been strong and help with running costs and they also sell things like blow-up rings as well. They're also looking at doing other events like concerts around the pool to make the most of the space.

"It's definitely been worth the effort. It's a key part of Penzance and it's a key feature on the end of the promenade. It's a key strategic point for Penzance and it just looked awful in the poor state of repair it was in before.

"Now it looks fantastic and has really added to the regeneration of the area."

Despite the apparent support for an operating Grange lido, and the success enjoyed by other communities having engaged in similar ambitious projects, SLDC is staying firm on its stance.

Cllr Peter Thorton, portfolio holder for finance, said avenues for delivering a swimming facility at the site had long-since been exhausted.

He said previous studies conducted in 2013 and 2014 had both come back with negative verdicts for a viable lido.

"There were all sorts of reasons why a pool wasn’t considered a viable option – from the unpredictable nature of demand at such a weather-dependent facility to the lack of parking at the site and the demographic of the local area meaning there was unlikely to be enough regular use to sustain it.

“All this was looked at in great detail and we considered it very carefully, in discussion with the local town and district councillors in Grange, and we concluded that a pool option didn’t represent a sustainable use.

“We therefore decided we needed to look at more realistic non-pool options, so that we could create a sustainable community facility that doesn’t become a drain on taxpayers.

“It will still require considerable investment to carry out the restoration of the buildings in a way that is sympathetic to the site’s listed status, and we are determined that the work being done now will lead to the re-opening of the site."