CLEVELAND POOLS, BATH

The Prince's Regeneration Trust, the Trevor Osborne Property Group and the Cleveland Pools Trust who together form the Cleveland Pools Alliance are working with Bath and North East Somerset Council to restore Bath's historic Cleveland Pools to full public use. Dating from 1815, the Grade II* listed pools are the only surviving Georgian Lido in England. At the centre is the former caretaker's cottage with attached changing rooms in the form of a miniature Georgian crescent flanking the swimming pool.

For well over a century many of Bath's children learned to swim in the upper pool and the pools remained popular with a large number of local swimming clubs right up until the time of their closure. The growing popularity of heated indoor facilities and the development of multi-purpose sports centres, led to the decline of the pools and they were finally closed in 1984. Since then they have remained un-used and now lie in a state of disrepair.

With the recent revival of outdoor swimming, the pools if rescued and preserved, would provide Bath residents and visitors with a very essential and much needed outdoor leisure facility. The pools and their associated buildings are extremely valuable in themselves in offering an insight into Bath's social history for residents and visitors alike.

Funds for the renovation would be raised through a variety of sources, including fundraising. A key aspect of delivering the project will be the involvement and support of the local community and the partners have asked for anyone interested in getting involved to make contact with them.