OUR JOURNEY

Achievements to Date

Our efforts so far have not solely been confined to fundraising - though clearly this is critical to our project.

We have secured a 125 year rent-free lease for the site from Leeds City Council who fully support our aims.

We also successfully raised the profile of the site - including through engagement with Otley Town Council - and are grateful it is included in the Otley Neighbourhood Plan which was adopted after a referendum in Feburary 2020.

We have engaged with politicians, councils, organisations, businesses and members of our community in order to build relationships - and secure the support - essential to progress our project. We have built considerable support across all these groups and engage regularly through community engagement events, meetings and through social media.

Read more about 'Our Partners & Supporters' here

Our 'fundraising pool' created by Zeppo Design

I applaud the work of Friends of Otley Lido. As shadow spokesperson for Housing, Communities and Local Government in the House of Lords I know our communities need health and well-being facilities like those planned by the Friends. As an Otley resident I know how important this would be to all age groups in our town.

Baroness (Judith) Blake of Leeds

Architect's concept - courtesy of 3xa Design

An Established Approach

Our plan to bring Otley lido to fruition follows a common and well-established approach recommended by Swim England and utilised by other lidos such as Peckham and Broomhill. We are grateful to our friends and partners across the nation for their invaluable advice in planning and progressing our project and look forward to continuing to engage with them.

It is worth noting that whilst our approach is best practice it is not without its challenges! Swim England advocate greater government funding "so communities can apply for grants to get design and feasibility studies completed – the costs of which can currently be a barrier to pools being built".

How We Shall Progress Our Journey

To bring our project to fruition we shall apply to larger funding organisations and seek partners aligned with our aims - this represents a future phase in our plans. In order to do so, we require detailed plans for the site (e.g. architects drawings, costings, planning permission, a sustainable business plan, etc.).

This requires professional services and specialist studies / surveys to be carried out on the site. This represents Phase 1 which we are fundraising for now. We have already raised over £12,000 for this phase but still require an additional £53,000 to reach our overall target of £65,000. The studies / surveys include elements such as:

Site investigation works - e.g. ground investigation, assessment of site clearance, contaminants, etc.
Architectural drawings in readiness for formal submission of planning application
Detailed costings
Carbon footprint minimisation options during build and operation
Flood risk and management of potential flood waters
Impact on traffic in the area
Ecological study to consider the wildlife and general environment
Project management assessment
Assessment of the structural design and build
Assessment of pool options
Geotechnical study
Identification, assessment and report on potential funding channels
Development of a long term sustainable business plan