OUR PLANS
The Venue
Our plans for the venue were developed in partnership with FMG Consulting – a leading sports and leisure consultancy – and Saunders Boston Architects. Both companies – and the teams working on the project – have considerable expertise in leisure facilities, pools and lidos.
Read about the team at FMG and Saunders Boston.
At feasibility stage, these are all indicative rather than definitive plans but provide a blueprint for development. They deliver the core drivers for the project and we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from key stakeholders.
Concept Designs
Clearly, a development of this nature has risks assoicated with it. Therefore, the 'Full Development’ (shown above) has been devised with an option to incorporate a ‘Transitional Phase’ which would deliver all the ‘dry’ facilities except one smaller multi-purpose room. FMG undertook financial modelling of both schemes and the viability of both has been demonstrated.
Whilst the 'Transistional Phase' would not deliver a pool, it would allow the majority of the drivers of the project to be achieved at a vastly reduced cost. The site would be secured for community use and on-going benefits would be delivered whilst plans to deliver the 'wet' facilities are progressed.
It is worth noting, there may also be the potential for a number of other transistional phase approaches and/or sub-phases. As we develop our plans – in conjunction with stakeholders – we shall identify and explore any potential opportunities.
Transistional phases represent an alternative approach and – whilst not our preferred approach – represent a pragmatic solution to securing the site, progressing the project, and retaining the ability to deliver a pool at a later date.
Much more than a pool!
A venue delivering community, health, wellbeing, social, cultural and corporate activities and events. Plus, spaces for hire for the community to do the same.
A free to access community hub – comprising café, riverside terrace and WCs – enhancing the riverside user experience for everyone.
Friends of Otley Lido
A Community, Health & Wellness Hub
A feasible and viable plan which sustains a heated pool – open seasonally for six months of the year – as the centrepiece of a vibrant, year-round community, health and wellness hub.
An inclusive venue where the 'wet' offerings are complemented by a diverse year-round range of ‘dry’ offerings such as community, health, wellbeing, social, cultural and corporate activities, events and initiatives.
Delivering community spaces for hire so community groups, individuals, organisations, businesses, etc. can undertake their activities / events and also contribute to the diverse offerings.
A free to access community hub – comprising café, riverside terrace and WCs – to support people to undertake their own 'informal' activities in the riverside plus provide a 'third place' social hub to connect people and help to reduce loneliness and social isolation.
Enabling as many people as possible to benefit from a community asset in a beautfiul riverside location and providing year-round, diversified revenue streams to ensure a sustainable business.
Key Features
'Wet' facilities - pool, wet play / splashpad, beach huts, wet changing, showers and WCs
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Seasonal opening for 6 months between April and October (possibly longer for wet play area)
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Heated 25m x 12m community pool with 6 lanes – utilising the existing footprint to reduce costs
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Pool depth 0.9m to 1.5m to maximise use cases and reduce heating and lifeguarding costs
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Wet play area / splashpad (128m2) – located east to avoid being shaded by the buildings
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Supplemental outdoor changing and showers for peak periods – this avoids dedicating indoor space for additional changing which would have low utilisation and thereby creates an additional multi-purpose space
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Beach huts available for hire providing differentiated user experiences
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Potential to add a sauna (permanent or pop-up)
Multi-purpose rooms, outdoor 'breakout' space, 'dry' changing, showers and WCs
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Multi-purpose room(s) – flexible configuration for the large room enabling it to be utilised as two smaller rooms
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‘Dry’ changing and toilets to improve the user experience
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Outdoor ‘breakout’ space (potential to add a covered area at modest cost)
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Additional or segregated access via the entrance on Farnley Lane
Riverside outdoor space / activity area and pool terrace
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Flexible outdoor space overlooking the river for activities, classes, events, lounging by the pool, riverside terrace, etc.
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Fence line a few metres nside the site perimeter thereby enabling the creation of an external riverside terrace for use by the community
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Potentially elevated (as currently) by approximately 0.8m in relation to the riverside terrace / footpath – this enhances the views and site security
Community Hub & Management / Operations Hub
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Free public access to the community hub comprising café, riverside terrace and WCs
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Café and riverside terrace overlooking the river with magnificent views and area of highest footfall (plus potential to add covered area to riverside terrace)
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Café with differentiated product and user offering from other riverside venues
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Café can also be utilised as a multi-purpose space
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‘Shop’ for sales of swimming related items and lido merchandise
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Accessible WC plus three unisex WCs available for venue users and public
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WCs in staffed café to reduce chances of anti-social behaviour
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Single point of service to reduce staffing costs (especially in quieter periods)
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'Seasonal’ (peak periods, events, etc.) use of serving hatches for both riverside and lido to reduce potential congestion in reception and café areas
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Additional ‘seasonal’ (peak periods, events, etc.) entrance to improve user throughput rates in addition to reducing congestion and queuing in reception, café and areas surrounding the venue
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Office area with views across the venue
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Central hub that supports and enhances operations across the venue
Wharfemeadows Bowling Club
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Dedicated provision
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Overlooking the bowling green
Transport zone
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Increased parking provision over existing configuration with dedicated parking for blue badge holders
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Increased cycle parking provision (40 spaces)
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Bus stop less than 100m away (serviced by the 965 Otley-Newall Circular service commencing and terminating at Otley Bus Station