Stanhope Pool to stay closed over summer amid uncertain future

Stanhope Open Air Swimming Pool opened in 1974

A well-known open air swimming pool will remain closed for the foreseeable future, managers have said.

Stanhope Pool, County Durham's only heated lido, was set to open for the summer season at the end of May.

But manager Ruth Haynes said it would remain closed due to a "major electrical failure" in the plant room.

The pool's lease on its land was also due to expire leaving it in an "incredibly uncertain position", Ms Haynes said.

Last year more than 8,000 people visited the 1974-built pool but staff had warned they needed to find more volunteers and raise £300,000 to secure its future.

Ms Haynes told the BBC the pool's real need was for people to join its committee, adding that without more volunteers "we do not have the man power to be able to save the pool".

In a post on the lido's Facebook page, Ms Haynes said: "It is with a truly heavy heart that we have to announce we will be unable to open this season."

She said there was a "major electrical failure" at the end of last season and the down time had "only worsened this issue".

The 25m long pool is heated and has a deeper section for diving

Ms Haynes said: "Ultimately, we are faced with the reality that the plant room initially installed in the 1970s would need to undergo significant restoration before it would be up to the required standard of performance, safety and reliability we need.

"This would be a costly and time-consuming endeavour, and simply not possible to complete in the limited time we have before we were due to open."

She said the upcoming season was also set to be the last before the pool's lease expired which "leaves our future in an incredibly uncertain position".

Ms Haynes said the priority was to secure an extension "before we could justify" spending a lot of money on the plant room.

She also announced that after nine years working at the pool she would be standing down as manager and appealed for people to volunteer.

Ms Haynes said she would try and organise a meeting for anyone interested in joining in the near future.

John Shuttleworth, councillor for Weardale on Durham County Council, said the pool was a much-loved attraction and it would be a devastating loss.

"It's been there for many years and is very well-used," he said.