Saltdean Lido campaigners step up pressure

Campaigners aim to step up the pressure over Saltdean Lido with a call for council chief executive John Barradell to step into the fray.

The call by Save Saltdean Lido Campaign looks likely to be ignored.

It comes as Brighton and Hove City Council said that the next steps had been taken towards a possible compulsory purchase of the lease.

The council is holding talks with the lessee Dennis Audley in the hope of persuading him to surrender the lease voluntarily.

Separately, council planning officials received a valuation report on Monday (27 February) as they try to work out the potential bill for taking back the lido.

And planning enforcement officers are using formal powers to try to ensure the lido is properly maintained.

The campaign started two years ago when the leaseholder announced plans to demolish part of the site and put up housing.

The campaigners have complained about the state of the lido and have said that it is not being opened as often as it should be.

The council is reluctant to force the surrender of the lease but has stated its willingness to do so as a last resort.

Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, the council’s cabinet member for culture, said: “We are continuing to work on this as quickly as the law of the land enables.

“Under that law, it is not possible to simply snatch back a building from a lessee. Various lengthy processes have to be completed.

“The local planning authority is taking action under listed buildings law.

“We are actively pursing negotiations on surrender of the lease.

“We have had the building independently valued to enable this and ensure any demands by the lessee are reasonable.

“I would like to see a good outcome for the council and residents as soon as possible and assure people we have no interest in prolonging this process further than necessary.”

Councillor Bowden will listen to representations from Rebecca Crook, who chairs the campaign group, at a public meeting at Hove Town Hall on Tuesday (6 March).