The Broomhill Pool clock is ticking. 22 months to save the ONLY unrestored LISTED LIDO IN BRITAIN*.
Planning consent for the approved scheme, design, will expire 11 Dec 2027.
Unless spades are on the ground and this scheme is in progress by then, the £250,000 development costs so far will be lost. A twice approved The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant (of £6.8m) will be lost for Ipswich Borough Council and citizens of our town.
*There are 20 listed public lidos in Britain. Only Ipswich’s Grade II listed Broomhill Pool remains derelict and at real risk of being lost.
Image (C) Dave Thompson design. Available to buy online.
Campaigners fear plans to breathe new life into an abandoned outdoor swimming pool will unravel if work does not get under way soon.
The Grade II listed Broomhill Lido in Ipswich first opened its doors to hardy swimmers in the 1930s but was shut in 2002.
Plans to restore it have failed to get off the ground, and last year the National Lottery Heritage Fund withdrew nearly £7m in funding for the project.
But Mark Ling, chairman of Broomhill Pool Trust, still holds out hope that the pool will reopen, and he said it would be “scandalous” if the project was shelved.
“Our concern is if works are not in progress by December 2027, the planning permission will expire and everything then unravels,” he told the BBC.
“We are not lido fundamentalists. We are here because we believe this scheme makes absolute sense – it’s good for taxpayers and it puts Ipswich on the map.”
The National Lottery Heritage Fund joined forces with Ipswich Borough Council and Fusion Lifestyle in an attempt to save the lido about eight years ago.
It pledged £3.8m to the project in 2018 and a further £3m in 2023, while the local authority vowed to inject £3.3m.
Permission for the restoration was most recently approved in December 2024 and work was scheduled to start last year, with a view to the pool reopening this year.
But last summer the council said Fusion Lifestyle had been “unable to provide assurances about their financial position”.
The authority said it raised concerns and brought “into question their ability to deliver the project”. The lottery fund then pulled out.
The move plunged the future of the pool into doubt, with the next 22 months now likely to be make-or-break, according to Ling.
“Everything is in place, so we need to move ahead to make it happen, because public money is at stake and it would be scandalous if that was lost,” he added.
“One of the finest lidos in Britain is sitting here doing nothing, so we need to make sure Ipswich does not lose out on this tremendous opportunity.”
Broomhill Lido closed in 2002 and has since been left abandoned
Council leader Neil MacDonald said the authority remained “committed to the restoration of the much-treasured lido” and to finding “a new way forward”.
“The council’s £3.3m financial contribution for the project remains ringfenced for the restoration,” he added.
“There are a number of legal and procedural matters currently being resolved with the team that was working on the project.
“Once resolved, the council can start working with funders who have previously given their commitment to the project to progress the plans for the restoration.”
Fusion Lifestyle and the National Lottery Heritage Fund were contacted for comment.
Despite two failed attempts to secure funding for one of Britain’s finest lidos, the Broomhill Pool Trust chairman is urging stakeholders to “finally get the project over the line” – arguing the scheme is ready-made with planning permission, design approval, and unprecedented public support.
A review of the Broomhill Pool Trust Timeline (Campaign Timelines and Key Developments) during the last 12-18 months – let alone the previous epic 21 years of effort – demonstrates how agonisingly close the stakeholders and we have been, TWICE, to securing Broomhill Pool’s restoration.
This is not a time for looking backwards, for blame, or to lose sight of the goal. It is to Fusion Lifestyle’s great credit that despite unprecedented conditions (during and post covid) they remained committed to the Broomhill Pool project. Sadly, they have not been able to demonstrate the financial certainty to unlock the £6.8m National Lottery Heritage Fund grant.
However, Ipswich Borough Council remain resolute with their commitment. The Trust will be lobbying IBC and NLHF to work directly together: a) to provide the necessary financial platform and b) to deliver a project that they have TWICE backed, and whose merits and benefits remain as strong as ever. If re-elected as Chairman this AGM I commit to doubling down our energy and efforts, to ensure the Trust’s full partnership to back the stakeholders to get this wonderful public asset saved, and for a successful outcome to this epic campaign.
For my chairman’s 2025 Report, I cannot summarise or restate our aims any clearer than the in the statement below (in italic fonts). The Trust sent this to IBC & NHLF on 15 July 2025, immediately after news that NLHF had pulled their £6.8m grant to Fusion.
“Whilst the Trust is deeply concerned by NLHF’s decision to pull their £6.8m grant to Fusion Lifestyle, we are in some ways relieved. As outlined in our letter to stakeholders (7 July 2025) it has become apparent that it was a catch 22, where a scheme with 98% capital funding guaranteed by IBC & NLHF could not proceed unless or until Fusion could provide financial certainty.
It is a serious setback with NLHF withdrawing their grant to Fusion. Yet, if the scheme can quickly be rebooted with IBC making the application, then financial certainty and cash flow is there. The project is ready made with planning permission, design, and approved in principle.
We therefore appeal for IBC & NLHF to act swiftly and seek to re-secure the NLHF’s £6.8m grant directly. We ask you to consider the progress made and what Broomhill Pool’s restoration offers:
• Arguably this is a far stronger financial platform moving forward, and the Trust will be working flat out in support of and partnership with IBC to encourage them to press ahead.
• The scheme has planning approval, and an approved design.
• There is a long-standing project team in place, with many local companies who know the gig, and are keen to progress.
• This is a grade II listed lido, one of the finest in Britain. It is Britain’s deepest outdoor public pool.
•The lido restoration has incredible public support and cross-party political backing.
• IBC have reaffirmed their £3.3m commitment and have given firm reassurances they are committed to getting the Broomhill restoration project done.
• This is a scheme the National Lottery Heritage Fund has been keen to support (TWICE). This is the first major funding into North Ipswich, and one of the largest grants for all Ipswich area. The locality is home to two pockets of deprivation, and this project can transform its fortunes.
The Trust has campaigned tirelessly and positively for 23 years. As community champion we appeal to you both to come together, to finally get the project over the line and save this wonderful asset for future generations”.
Mark Ling, Chair of the Broomhill Pool Trust. October 2025. ML 22.10.2025
C20 Society has written to Ipswich Borough Council and the NLHF, strongly urging both parties to commit to continuing the project and appoint an operator in due course, rather than wait and jeopardise the future of the site.
The letter follows National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) recent decision to withdraw their £6.8m funding from the £10+ million project, citing concerns over the financial position of operator Fusion Lifestyle.
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The future of Ipswich’s historic outdoor swimming pool hangs in the balance after the National Lottery Heritage Fund made the “difficult decision” to withdraw funding.
11 July, 2025
By Oliver Rouane-Williams
Oliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk
The entrance to Broomhill Lido
Why it matters: After more than two decades of determined campaigning, fundraising battles, and rollercoaster moments of hope and disappointment, the community’s dream of restoring their beloved lido faces its biggest setback yet.
What’s new: After a lengthy period of prolonged uncertainty, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has pulled the plug on its support, citing concerns over delivery partner Fusion Lifestyle’s financial position. The fund had pledged £3.8m in 2018 and a further £3m in 2023 but said it had now withdrawn after “work had not started.”
“Unfortunately, despite this support, work has not yet begun on site,” a spokesperson said.
“We understand this will be disappointing news as we recognise the significance of Broomhill Pool to the local community, both as a cherished historic site and a place filled with fond memories.”
The big picture: The setback comes after years of delays have already pushed back the restoration. The project was initially postponed when Covid-19 hit, then faced further delays when planning permission had to be granted a second time last year.
Six months later, with the £10m restoration still not underway, the heritage fund said it wanted to perform financial due diligence on the project.
What they’re saying: Mark Ling, chairman of the Broomhill Pool Trust, said the trust was “deeply concerned but in some ways relieved” by the funding withdrawal.
“It had become apparent that it was a catch 22 where a scheme with 98 per cent capital funding guaranteed by IBC and NLHF could not proceed unless or until Fusion could provide financial certainty,” he said.
“The way that funding works is that when the works commence, the applicant/project lead must evidence the works and then funding is then released in agreed stages/increments.
“But in a scheme this big the applicant needs the cash flow and financial certainty to outlay the large sums of monies upfront.”
He said the trust had “lost confidence in the stakeholders to complete the project outcome” but called for Ipswich Borough Council to “act swiftly” and “resecure NLHF funding with greater financial certainty.”
“Arguably this is a stronger financial platform moving forward, and the Trust will be working flat out in support of and partnership with IBC to encourage them to press ahead,” he added.
Fusion Lifestyle
Architect’s renders of Broomhill Lido
The other side: An Ipswich Borough Council spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that the National Lottery Heritage Fund has made this difficult decision. Fusion, the developer and operator for the scheme had been unable to provide assurances about their financial position through published audited accounts for the 2023/24 year, bringing into question their ability to deliver the project which received planning consent last year.
“Ipswich Borough Council remains committed to the restoration of the much treasured Broomhill Lido and pledges to work with the Broomhill Trust to try to find a way forward. We also have a meeting scheduled with the National Lottery Heritage Fund next week to look at how we might be able to progress the project.
“Importantly the council’s £3.3m financial contribution for the project will remain ringfenced for the restoration in our budget and we call on other smaller funders such as Suffolk County Council to continue to ring-fence their grants and work with us to find a solution in the coming weeks and months.”
What’s next: The council will meet with heritage fund officials next week in what it described as “an initial exploratory meeting” to “understand their position in more detail and to explore any potential options for the future of the project.”
The trust is hoping the council could take over as the funding applicant.
The bottom line: After more than two decades of campaigning and planning, the beloved lido’s future remains uncertain, but both the council and trust remain committed to finding a way forward despite the major funding setback.
Broomhill Pool Trust 