WE NOW live, whether we like it or not, in a world of health and safety. On first site of the layout (Gazette, January 17, 'Detailed lido plans to go before council') of the proposed plans for the re-development of the lido at Grange-over-Sands, I would suggest it would/should 'fall' at the first hurdle regarding safety.

Children (certainly those under 10) tend to become over excited and develop additional energy when coming within site of a swimming pool, in or out of doors. Then having become acquainted with the water, they climb out and start to frolic.

I am referring in the main to the younger age group who will, in the majority of cases, be climbing out of the small (?) paddling pool, which stretches alongside well over half the length of the 50-metre side of the main pool.

Therefore we have a situation developing on what appears to be a 35-metre causeway separating the two pools: one of which will be for paddling and the other for swimming.

Since this 35-metre-long causeway appears to be only approx 2.5 metres wide separating the vastly different depths of the respective pools this suggests a significant area of risk.

This will be an area where children will climb out of the paddling pool, and run, chase and frolic. There could be a high risk area for a non swimmer to be knocked or accidentally pushed or for someone to slip.

Having non-slip tiles will certainly not be the answer, neither would putting up signs, since three and four-year-olds may not be able to read. If this project is to go ahead, I believe the two pools must, in the interest of safety, have something more substantial between them.

Don Bastow

Windermere