Outdoor pool renovation given provisional approval

The Friends of Tynemouth Outdoor Pool have a vision of how the site could look

The restoration of an 1920s outdoor pool has been given provisional council support.

North Tyneside Council said it was "minded" to grant permission for work on the long-vacant Tynemouth pool but only subject to a number of conditions.

Friends of Tynemouth Outdoor Pool wants to create a 25m heated pool with changing rooms, refreshments and toilets in temporary shipping container kiosks.

Barry Bell from the group said there were "lots of positives" to the decision.

"We didn’t get outright planning permission, but we did get the message to the council, they are minded to approve pending conditions," he said.

“We are determined to see it through, we really do want to see the pool built and we will do everything to satisfy the committee."

The temporary facilities are intended to help the pool generate income and could be in place for five years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The Friends also applied for permission to eventually construct a permanent building housing toilets, changing rooms, a café and a gym. 

The pool has been disused for decades

Councillors had voiced concerns about the financial viability of the scheme but the Friends of Tynemouth Outdoor Pool said investment would be easier to obtain once permission was granted.

The council said full approval was contingent upon the group carrying out a bio-diversity assessment using up-to-date equipment, a flood risk assessment using recent data, an updated ecological assessment and updated bird surveys.

Approval can then be granted if no further matters of concern arise, the council's planning committee concluded.

If concerns are raised, the authority's director of regeneration and economic development can bring the application back to the committee for further consideration.

The plans have received public support, with more than 1,900 positive comments on the council’s website, and have attracted the attention of Australian Mayor Paula Masselos, who compared the pool to Bondi Beach’s own outdoor pools.