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Scottish Sun
28-05-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
Abandoned English lido forced to delay reopening date after £6.8million restoration
Plus, the UK's best lidos that are open now Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WORK to upgrade the Grange Lido in Morecambe Bay began two years ago - but it's now missed its second opening date. The salt-water lido overlooking Lakeland Fells has been closed since 1993 with plans to refurbish it with £6.8million worth of funding starting in April 2023. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The Grange Lido in Morecambe Bay has been undergoing upgrades Credit: West Morland and Furness Council 4 The lido has been closed since 1993 Credit: Alamy When work began on the Grade II listed site at Grange-over-Sands, the project was expected to last 14 months. However the original reopening of summer 2024 was delayed, and it has been set back once again. The first phase of the restoration is to reopen the site with a temporary infill of the pool to create a new multi-use public space. The Westmorland and Furness Council said it was sorry to "disappoint" residents and it would announce a new reopening date in the coming weeks. There is good news though as council leader Jonathan Brook said most of the work on the project had been completed and it looked "fantastic". He added: "It is important that we get this right, understanding that the lido project seeks to restore this important structure after more than 30 years of closure and several previous attempts to bring it back to life." Completed works at the lido include an upgrade to the pavilion building as well as an accessible entrance from the promenade. The changing rooms have been upgraded, and works to the roof and terraces has been completed, along with security upgrades, cleaning, and external decoration. The lido fell into disrepair in 1993, so significant structural and architectural works have been undertaken - including concrete repairs to the diving board. A new playground area has also been installed on the site. New £4million lido to open in UK next year 4 The lido overlooks Lakeland Fells Credit: Alamy The Grange Lido is one of only four remaining listed coastal lidos in England, it was constructed in 1932 and remained open for 61 years. It was closed in 1993 due to low usage and rising repair costs. It remains the earliest and most complete 20th-century listed sea water lido in England. In 2011, the lido was granted grade II listed status and in the same year, the Save Grange Lido group was formed. The group has grown in strength with 18,000 people signing a petition calling on the council to include reopening of the pool in any plans to restore the lido. During the second phrase of the restoration project, the infill will be removed. The 50m pool will eventually be restored, fitting out changing rooms, and extending the central pavilion. This seafront English lido has been named one of the best in Europe. Here's another Edwardian lido that people say is like 'being in the Med' named one of the best in the UK. And the UK's best outdoor water parks and lidos to visit when the temperatures are set to soar.
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Abandoned English lido delays reopening date after £6.8million restoration
MAKING WAVES Plus, the UK's best lidos that are open now Alice Penwill , Travel Reporter Published : 11:51, 28 May 2025 Updated : 11:51, 28 May 2025 WORK to upgrade the Grange Lido in Morecambe Bay began two years ago - but it's now missed its second opening date. The salt-water lido overlooking Lakeland Fells has been closed since 1993 with plans to refurbish it with £6.8million worth of funding starting in April 2023. 4 The Grange Lido in Morecambe Bay has been undergoing upgrades Credit: West Morland and Furness Council 4 The lido has been closed since 1993 Credit: Alamy When work began on the Grade II listed site at Grange-over-Sands, the project was expected to last 14 months. However the original reopening of summer 2024 was delayed, and it has been set back once again. The first phase of the restoration is to reopen the site with a temporary infill of the pool to create a new multi-use public space. The Westmorland and Furness Council said it was sorry to "disappoint" residents and it would announce a new reopening date in the coming weeks. There is good news though as council leader Jonathan Brook said most of the work on the project had been completed and it looked "fantastic". He added: "It is important that we get this right, understanding that the lido project seeks to restore this important structure after more than 30 years of closure and several previous attempts to bring it back to life." Completed works at the lido include an upgrade to the pavilion building as well as an accessible entrance from the promenade. The changing rooms have been upgraded, and works to the roof and terraces has been completed, along with security upgrades, cleaning, and external decoration. The lido fell into disrepair in 1993, so significant structural and architectural works have been undertaken - including concrete repairs to the diving board. A new playground area has also been installed on the site. New £4million lido to open in UK next year 4 The lido overlooks Lakeland Fells Credit: Alamy The Grange Lido is one of only four remaining listed coastal lidos in England, it was constructed in 1932 and remained open for 61 years. It was closed in 1993 due to low usage and rising repair costs. It remains the earliest and most complete 20th-century listed sea water lido in England. In 2011, the lido was granted grade II listed status and in the same year, the Save Grange Lido group was formed. The group has grown in strength with 18,000 people signing a petition calling on the council to include reopening of the pool in any plans to restore the lido. During the second phrase of the restoration project, the infill will be removed. The 50m pool will eventually be restored, fitting out changing rooms, and extending the central pavilion. This seafront English lido has been named one of the best in Europe. Here's another Edwardian lido that people say is like 'being in the Med' named one of the best in the UK. And the UK's best outdoor water parks and lidos to visit when the temperatures are set to soar. 4 The Grange Lido is set to be turned back into a pool during phase two Credit: Alamy
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More than £7million in funding approved to give 'seismic boost' to Penrith
MORE than £7million of government funding has been approved for two major projects in Penrith, including the 'reimagination' of the listed town hall. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has approved a £7.09m grant for the so-called 'Inspiring Eden' project which encompasses two major initiatives: an 'enterprise hub' at 2-3 Market Square and a 'creative and community hub' based in Penrith Town Hall. Councillor Jonathan Brook, Westmorland and Furness Council leader and cabinet member for economy, said: 'Enterprise, entrepreneurship, community and creativity will combine in Inspiring Eden, to bring wide-ranging and long-lasting benefits to Penrith, Eden and beyond. "The journey towards getting to this point has been a long one, and the vision has evolved along that journey. "The addition of the creative and community hub along with the enterprise hub is tremendously exciting. "These two projects will help transform heritage and historic spaces, create jobs, spark opportunities, nurture ideas, and support cultural economic life to thrive for generations to come." Subject to Westmorland and Furness Council signing a memorandum of understanding to seal the grant, detailed planning is set to start on the enterprise hub soon, with the first business set to be up and running in the hub by April 2027, according to the authority. The development of the hub started with a research collaboration between Eden District Council, Cumbria LEP, Penrith Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Lancaster University and University of Cumbria in 2019. That work, led by 'business ecosystems' expert and a senior lecturer at Lancaster, Dr Chris Ford, made the case for a business and innovation hub in the heart of town. Dr Ford said: "The town centre really needed a place with office space, meeting space, but also a business support and innovation service that fits our town and our needs. It has to be a powerful, visible presence that makes a bold statement about what is possible right here in Penrith." Initial plans for the hub were focused on a site at junction 41 of the M6. A funding bid for that site, initially rejected by the government, was then approved in November 2023. The site was sold to a developer and is now being marketed as commercial development site 'Penrith 41'. Former Barclays Bank building in Market Square, Penrith (Image: Google StreetView) In April 2024, Westmorland and Furness Council said it became aware that Barclays Bank were vacating 2-3 Market Square. In January 2025 the council presented a plan for 2-3 Market Square to MHCLG as the 'perfect opportunity' for a 'pivot' towards a major town centre project instead. The enterprise hub plans - which the council says will act as a 'catalyst for renewal' of Penrith town centre - have been praised by Penrith-based innovation company FIS360 Ltd as well as Professor Malcolm Joyce, pro-vice chancellor for research and enterprise at Lancaster University. Funding necessary for the Enterprise Hub has been calculated as £4.09million, leaving a balance of funding. Government requested the council find another project to use the residual funding of £3million and this led to the town hall being put forward as an additional project – the Inspiring Eden creative and community hub at Penrith Town Hall. Penrith's Grade-II listed town hall building, on Corney Square, had been used by the council since 1906 when it was created from two neoclassical houses on the site. But in 2024, the council moved its operations to the new Voreda House - the controversial brainchild of the former Eden District Council authority which had come in at more than three times its original budget. At that time, the authority said that options for the town hall were 'being considered'. The new plans for the 'creative and community hub' within the building will 'reimagine the town hall and celebrate the town's heritage, powered by the community to ignite imagination for generations to come', Westmorland and Furness Council said. Penrith Town Hall Residents, creatives, community groups and young people will be invited to help identify options for future use, and plans for uses are 'to be agreed by the end of the year'. The council's ambition is for the building to become a 'thriving incubator for local talent' – acting as a launchpad for creatives and providing a collaborative environment for artists, creatives and entrepreneurs, whilst remaining a civic resource for residents. "Penrith Town Hall is an important landmark and resource we are committed to securing a future supporting the town," said Councillor Virginia Taylor, the council's cabinet member for planning, culture and community wellbeing. "One of our ambitions is to ensure that the council uses its assets in the most appropriate and beneficial way." Westmorland and Furness Council has hailed the plans as potentially providing a 'seismic boost' to Penrith's cultural, community and business sectors. "The enterprise hub and the creative and community hub will boost the town in different ways but also support each other and contribute towards the council's vision of making Westmorland and Furness a great place to live, work and thrive," Cllr Taylor added.
BBC News
10-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Grange-over-Sands £6.8m lido refurbishment reopening delayed
The reopening of a lido refurbished in a £6.8m scheme has been delayed again after problems were uncovered with concrete began on the Grade II listed site at Grange-over-Sands, in Cumbria, in 2023 and the project was expected to last 14 its 2024 reopening was delayed and Westmorland and Furness Council said further setbacks meant it was "unlikely" the project would be completed this summer. The authority said it was sorry to "disappoint" residents and it would announce a new reopening date in the coming weeks. The lido closed in 1993 after falling into on the site has included the installation of a new drainage system as well as sea wall repairs. Council leader Jonathan Brook said most of the work on the project had been completed and it looked "fantastic".However, he said: "While it is frustrating that the construction phase must be extended due to further assessment of the repairs required to complete the project, it highlights the complexity of working with historic assets of this nature. "It is important that we get this right, understanding that the lido project seeks to restore this important structure after more than 30 years of closure and several previous attempts to bring it back to life." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
19-03-2025
- BBC News
Holmfirth man jailed after defrauding mother of £60k
A man who cheated his elderly mother out of more than £60,000 partly to fund his online gambling habit has been Brook was his mother's lasting power of attorney (LPA) because she could not manage her own finances, but used her money "for his own interests" and failed to pay her care home Crown Court heard he also sold her home and transferred "a large proportion" of the proceeds to himself, and failed to engage with authorities when 54, of Holmfirth, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by abuse of position at the same court earlier and was jailed for two years and eight months. Brook defrauded his mother between April 2019 and October 2022 and an investigation was launched by the West Yorkshire Financial Exploitation and Abuse Team (WYFEAT) after it was alerted his LPA had been revoked. 'Abused his position' The court heard the Office of the Public Guardian revoked the LPA regarding concerns over his management of his mother's court heard financial inquiries were conducted and it was established that Brook was transferring his mother's funds to his personal bank account and spending it on online was then prosecuted by Kirklees Davis, of West Yorkshire Trading Standards, said: "Jonathan Brook was in a significant position of trust and he abused that position, using his mother's money to finance his own interests, leaving her unable to fund her own care."The WYFEAT investigation on behalf of Kirklees Council clearly evidenced financial abuse and fraud by abuse of position and the sentencing today should serve as a warning that fraud will not be tolerated."A Kirklees Council spokesperson said: "Protecting vulnerable residents is a key priority for Kirklees Council and we are committed to taking appropriate action whenever abuse is identified." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
