OUR PLANS
Impact
We have identified 13 wide ranging benefits of the project for stakeholders. We believe every Otley resident and business, visitor to the town, and communities in Leeds and the local areas shall be positively impacted by at least one of these!
We are also conscious that reaching and working with those most in need of opportunities and support can ‘magnify' the impact. Our inclusive approach aims to achieve this including through accessible facilities, free to access amenities, affordable pricing, varied programme of activities, social initiatives, etc.
We have identified a number of organisations who can advise, and resources to support, the delivery of an inclusive venue. This includes considering cultural and practical barriers to participation and how they can be addressed through specific provision – e.g. women only sessions, crèche provision, etc.
As the project progresses, we shall continue to consult and utilise the resources we have identified – and others we identify – to develop a plan for inclusivity to help maximise the impact of the project. This shall help us achieve our goal that everyone feels welcome and the users are reflective of the catchment areas the venue would serve.
As Shadow Tourism Minister I've been round the country and seen the boost to both local communities and the economy a lido has brought with visitors flocking for outdoor swimming. We need a facility like this here to provide a leisure amenity for local people and attract new visitors to Otley.
Alex Sobel MP (Leeds North West) speaking in 2021
(now MP for Leeds Central and Headingley)
Returning the derelict site to community use
Promoting health
and wellbeing
Connecting Otley Riverside and the community
Boosting opportunities and prosperity
Returning the derelict site to community use
Sympathetic regeneration of the derelict Otley Baths transforming an eyesore into – what it used to be – a community asset through realising the potential of the site at the heart of Wharfemeadows Park and Otley Riverside with it's great location and amazing views..
Reinstating the historic location and re-establishing the heritage of an outdoor pool in Wharfemeadows Park.
At its simplest, the project would:
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Improve the aesthetics and ambience of the riverside
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Create a physical presence of a community organisation to contribute to, and promote, community care and stewardship of the riverside and discourage anti-social behaviour
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Protect the site from being developed for other 'less desirable' purposes.
Improving the riverside aesthetics and ambience
Promoting community stewardship of Otley Riverside
Protecting the site from 'less desirable' development
Re-establishing the heritage of a pool in Wharfemeadows Park
Key Fact
In Yorkshire & Humberside, 38% of adults do not achieve the Chief Medical Officer of England's recomendation of 150+ minutes of moderate intensity equivalent physical activity per week.
(Sport England Active Lives Survey 2024)
Promoting health and wellbeing
There are well-known health and wellbeing benefits from physical activity. We don't feel the need to list the vast benefits preferring instead to focus on the scale of the impact by reaching the 38% of adults in the region who do not undertake the recommended level of physical activity.
However, similar benefits to health and wellbeing can be achieved through:
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spending time in 'green spaces'
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spending time in 'blue spaces'
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reducing social isolation and loneliness
The free to access community hub to support people to undertake their own activities in the riverside alongside creating a 'third place' – a public, social space that is neither work or home – shall allow the venue's impact to be expanded to a wider range and greater number of people.
Inspiring physical activity and social interactions
Health and wellbeing activities at the venue
Free to access amenities supporting riverside activities
Free to access community social hub
New free to access riverside amenities
The 'missing' links users of the riverside have identified shall be addressed – via free to access amenties – to enhance the riverside user experience to inspire and enable greater use of the riverside.
The free to access community hub shall be invaluable in expanding the impact to a wider range and greater number of people. It shall support and enable people to improve their health and wellbeing through their own ‘informal’ activities in the riverside – this may simply be a stroll and/or social interaction.
Connecting the existing riverside resources
Free to access café, riverside terrace and WCs
Improving the riverside user experience
Supporting and enabling use of the riverside
A welcoming 'third place' in the riverside
A welcoming 'third place' or 'third space' – a public, social space that is neither work or home – in the form of a community café to contribute to increasing social connection, reducing loneliness, and improving health and wellbeing.
Combined with the benefits of both 'green' and 'blue' spaces derived from its beautiful riverside location we can't think of a better location for a 'third place'!
This shall also help to deliver our goal of being involved in social initiatives such as (green) social prescribing, mental health initiatives, etc.
Free to access
Community café with riverside terrace
Increasing social connection
Supporting social initiatives
Multi-purpose spaces for community hire
The venue would boast a large multi-purpose room – able to be configured as two smaller spaces – plus a smaller multi-purpose room with capacities of approximately 200 / 100 (no seating / seating) and 70 / 35.
The café is also able to be utilised as a multi-purpose space with capacities of approximately 150 / 75.
Additionally, outdoor spaces could be added to room hire or available separately.
Hire would be available by organisations, groups and individuals for a range of activities including social gathering, meetings, etc. – thereby addressing the shortages of both large spaces for hire in the town and spaces north of the river as identified in Otley Town Council's 'Community Assets Audit'.
Hire for organisations, groups and individuals
Spaces for varied activities
Indoor and/or outdoor
Riverside location
Community, social, cultural and corporate activities / events
A community venue that offers a diverse range of events and activities for residents, workers and visitors to the town. Plus, hire of facilities to enable organisations, groups and individuals to undertake their own activities and deliver their own events.
This inclusive approach of delivering a diverse range of activities and events would be complemented by accessible facilties, affordable pricing and a welcoming atmosphere so everyone can enjoy the venue.
Diverse range of activities and events
Facilities for hire
Inclusive approach
Accessible, affordable and welcoming
Social and community development
The creation of new activities and events alongside new amenities to support the exisiting riverside resources would contribute to bringing people together building trust and social cohesion benefitting our community.
The riverside has a particularly diverse range of users providing a fantastic opportunity to connect people whom otherwise may not interact.
Leeds City Council is seeking to empower and support communities to deliver on community priorities. Through connecting individuals, groups and organisations; pooling resources; and building a community with the necessary capabilities; the priorities of our community can be tackled.
Connecting people
Decreasing social isolation and loneliness
Building trust
Contributing to social and community cohesion
Social initiatives
As a community social enterprise, contributing to our community and social initiatives is at the heart of what we believe in. Therefore, we are keen to explore opportunities for the project to deliver new – and contribute to existing – social initiatives either solely or through collaboration with others.
We have identified a number of opportunities ranging mental health to learning and development, children to older people, history to nature and technology. We shall continue to explore opportunities and welcome any ideas!
Identified a diverse range of opportunities
Working in partnership
Delivering for everyone
Learning and development opportunities
Swimming is a key life skill saving lives and opening up opportunities to participate in a multitude of other water based activities where swimming is a prerequisite. Through provision of swimming lessons the venue shall help address the shortage of lessons in the local area.
FoOL is keen to develop learning opportunities at the venue by connecting the venue with its – and the local area's – history and heritage plus the current learning opportunities presented in the riverside and surrounding areas such as Gallows Hill Nature Reserve, the hydroelectric scheme, etc.
We anticipate a number of volunteering opportunites and aim to identify additional ways the venue can contribute to learning and development either through direct provision or in partnership with other organisations.
Hire for organisations, groups and individuals
Riverside location
Spaces for varied activities
Indoor and/or o
A venue for climate impact
A lido and outdoor activity spaces are great examples of spaces suited to warmer climatic conditions. Climate change has occurred, is continuing, and shall continue for the foreseeable future – despite interventions – resulting in the need for facilities and activities suited to the new realities.
Indeed, Leeds City Council's 'Best City Ambition' includes in ‘zero carbon’ a commitment to “investing in our public spaces and infrastructure to prepare Leeds for future climate impacts”.
The project envisages sustainable development via renovation of the disused buildings and utilising green energy. Additionally, the venue shall promote ‘staycationing’ and active travel and sustainable transport.
Venue for the new climate realities
Sustainable development
Promoting 'staycationing'
Promoting active travel and sustainable transport
Boosting the local economy
The venue shall be a 'destination' attracting visitors to the town and making a contribution to the local economy through employment and secondary spend in the town. We anticipate visitors from further afield shall combine a trip with visiting other local areas delivering benefits further afield.
Our projections estimate approximately 50% of swim visits shall be from users whom live over 10 minutes away. This is broadly in line with the wider trends identified in the Otley Benchmarking Surveys which found 48% of those surveyed in the town were not 'local'.
The 2020 survey also noted – more so than for any other visitor attraction in the town – vistors to the riverside were “linked to the town centre with a visible pattern of visitors walking to or from the commercial offer via the Riverside”. Therefore, we are confident businesses in the town shall benefit from the additional footfall in the riverside.
We are also keen to partner with local businesses to supply products and services which shall provide a further boost to the local economy.
A 'destination' venue for the town
Secondary spend in Otley and local areas
Employment and voluntary opportunities
Partnerships with local businesses
Enriching Wharfemeadows Bowling Club
The venue shall continue to provide a 'home' for the bowls club in the revivded site though the club shall remain an independent entity.
The bowls club shall benefit from the project including:
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Improvements to the riverside aesthetics and ambience
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Access to new amenities at the venue (free to access and available for hire)
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Linked opportunity to increase use of the club and potentially membership
Improved riverside aesthetics and ambience
Access to new riverside amenities
Opportunity to increase use of the club and membership
Creating social value
The annual social value of community sport and physical activity to the English economy is £107.2 billion – the Leeds Local Authority area alone contributed £1.34 billion – with a return on investment of £4.20 for every £1 spent. Projects such as ours, represent excellent value to our community and nation!
Every adult who advances one level on the physical activity scale creates around £1,400 per annum of social value. If the venue inspired and enabled just 100 adults to achieve and maintain this over a period of 30 years – a typical lifespan of a pool – over £4.2 million of social value shall have been created!
Additionally, social value shall be created by volunteering opportunities, reducing social isolation, job creation, social initiatives, etc. For example, the average social value created per adult per annum for weekly volunteering is £2,100 with monthly volunteering creating £1,000.