Spotlight Suffolk: What change should City of Culture bring to Ipswich? BROOMHILL POOL!

Spotlight Suffolk: What change should City of Culture bring to Ipswich?

At last night’s event with an audience of 200.

Mike Read MBE, King of the Channel and President of the Broomhill Pool Trust received huge applause for this heartfelt appeal:

“Ladies and gentlemen,

If this meeting would like to make a lasting contribution to the town, then I would implore it to persuade the culture committee to put its full weight and support behind supporting the restoration of Broomhill Lido.

Actually, support and focus is not enough, if there was one thing I learned from my days at work, the only way to get things achieved is by ruthless focus, not something we’re very good at, but essential for this task.

I know it is a big ask, but I was taught………..the impossible we do at once, miracles take a little longer.

Broomhill is a ready-made package sitting in the town’s planning office ready to start but like most already to start products, it has a sell by date, and the sell by date is December 2027, a little more than 15 months away now.

After that date anything that needs to be done to Broomhill Pool will need to go back to planning permission and that could easily lead to a further 18-month delay in any restoration.

 Why do I implore you to support the restoration of Broomhill Lido?

It ticks every box! A safe sanctuary for children wanting to enjoy the school holidays safely and supervised, learning to swim, learning water safety, swimming skills, lifesaving skills, diving, sub-aqua, scuba diving, PADI courses, canoeing, sailing, water polo, underwater hockey, triathlon, making friends, keeping healthy, getting exercise and keeping out of trouble, to mention the first things that come to mind.

It is a fantastic benefit for a relatively deprived northwest Ipswich.

An iconic Grade 2 listed landmark for Ipswich and Suffolk, saved and restored and with an anticipated life span of 50 years. It is part of our heritage and culture, we are surrounded by water, and water and milling have been our lifeline certainly since the 16th century.

A facility where adults can keep fit and stay healthy and possibly even lose weight.

A facility where adults can make new friends and learn new skills.

A heated facility which would operate all year round and would be perfect, not only for people’s mental health but also, physical, and social health.

Every year adults and children are lost to drowning incidents mainly because they have nowhere to swim safely, Broomhill would fill that safety gap.

With the current annual record-breaking temperatures, it is a facility which is becoming more in demand every year as our climate gets warmer and warmer, and one which will double the water space available for water activities in our town, at a stroke.

It will also allow breathing time or the local council to raise enough money to build the new indoor pool which is currently also in the planning department.

We are assured that the project has the backing of the town councillors and the local MP, but we need demonstrable commitment and a clear action plan..

It would be a long-lasting monument and achievement for our councillors and the culture committee and for our town which is full of aspiration!“