Restoration of historic coastal lido complete

Saltdean Lido was packed with swimmers cooling off in the sunshine

Work to restore the UK’s only Grade II* listed coastal lido to its former glory is finally complete.

Saltdean Lido, in East Sussex, was teeming with visitors cooling off in the pool on Tuesday – the hottest day of the year so far.

It has taken 14 years to lovingly restore the pool and art-deco hemisphere building’s café, library, ballroom, exercise study and workplace.

Derek Leaver, chairman of Saltdean Lido, said: “Now, the sun’s come out and we’ve got a day like this. Finally it’s finished.”

The pool is visible from most of the buildings through sweeping windows

Helen Morley said she left her home in the Midlands 30 years ago so she could be closer to the lido.

Now a volunteer tour guide at the lido, she said: “It fills me with joy every time I come here, and I’m swimming in the pool of our Grade II*-listed lido, which is just magnificent.”

The project cost £11 million to complete and was paid for with community donations and National Lottery funding.

Mr Leaver said: "In 2010, there was the threat of filling the pool and turning it into a block of flats.

"But the community got together and campaigned against that. We didn’t want that to happen."