Ipswich's Broomhill lido could become Suffolk's only 50m pool

Broomhill Pool, pictured in 1989, was built in 1938 and closed in 2002

A Grade II listed 1930s lido could become a county's only 50m pool if a council's bid for funding to restore and reopen the facility is successful.

Broomhill Pool in Ipswich closed in 2002 and there have been plans to renovate it for a number of years.

The borough council has applied for £1.1m for the lido from the government's Levelling Up Fund.

The local authority submitted its bid on 2 August, with the outcome expected in the autumn.

There have been plans to restore and reopen Broomhill Pool, in the north west of the town, for a number of years

The existing pool is exactly 55 yards (50.29m) long, which means it is slightly longer than that needed for official competitions.

It was hoped funding would mean a retractable boom could be added, so that the length of the pool could be set to to exactly 50m - the only one in Suffolk.

The pool's existing high diving board tower would also be brought back into use and the boom would mean an area could be sectioned off for diving when needed.

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The Labour-run council also plans to build a new aquatics centre on a car park near Portman Road and to create a new athletics centre in Gainsborough, as part of its Sports Facilities Strategy.

It has applied for £18m from the government's Levelling Up Fund, of which £1.1m is needed for the open air pool, on top of £7m that has already been raised for it.

Under the plans, a reopened lido would be the only 50m Olympic-sized pool in Suffolk, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

High diving boards on the site would be brought back into use and the pool would be heated to lengthen the outdoor swimming season.

Mark Ling, from the Broomhill Pool Trust, which has campaigned and fundraised for the reopening of the lido for almost 20 years, said the extra money was "vital".

Broomhill was built in 1938 and is one of 17 Grade II listed lidos in the country.

The council owns the lido and charity Fusion Lifestyle has a 50-year lease to operate it.

By 2020, the council had put £1.5m into the project, while Fusion had provided both £2m itself and £3.5m through its application to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Broomhill was popular on hot days

Metal coverings were installed to protect the empty pool and the diving board tower after vandalism that followed its closure in 2002

Fusion has listed building consent, alongside conditional planning permission for the full restoration and redevelopment of the site.

Bryony Rudkin, Labour councillor and portfolio holder for sport, said the council had a "long-term commitment" to reopening Broomhill and it, along with the other planned facilities, would help "tackle low levels of activity; high levels of obesity".

Announced in the 2022 spring statement, the Levelling Up Fund is a £4.8bn government fund "designed to invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life".