Our Journey

Achievements to Date

Our efforts so far have not solely been confined to fundraising - though clearly this is critical to our project.

We have succesfully engaged with the site owner Leeds City Council and also Otley Town Council who both support our vision.

We also successfully raised the profile of the site - including through engagement with Otley Town Council - and are grateful it is included in the Otley Neighbourhood Plan which was adopted after a referendum in Feburary 2020.

We have engaged with politicians, councils, organisations, businesses and members of our community in order to build relationships - and secure the support - essential to progress our project. We have built considerable support across all these groups and engage regularly through community engagement events, meetings and through social media.

Read more about 'Our Partners & Supporters' here

'Fundraising pool' (on the site hoarding) created by Zeppo Design

I applaud the work of Friends of Otley Lido. As shadow spokesperson for Housing, Communities and Local Government in the House of Lords I know our communities need health and well-being facilities like those planned by the Friends. As an Otley resident I know how important this would be to all age groups in our town.

Baroness (Judith) Blake of Leeds

How We Shall Progress Our Journey

To bring our project to fruition we shall apply to larger funding organisations and seek partners aligned with our aims - this represents a future phase in our plans. In order to do so, we require market analysis, defined operational parameters, designs, capital costs, a viable business plan and planning permission to name just a few elements!

This shall require us to commission professional services including studies and surveys. We are also grateful for the support of a number of professionals who have offered us their services on a pro-bono basis which shall enable us to reduce the costs. If you - or someone you know - may be able to help us then please do get in touch using the details at the bottom of the page. Examples of what we intend to undertake include:

Market analysis to ascertain supply, demand, pricing, etc. for each prospective facility on the site
Define operational parameters
Concept designs
Outline business plan
Surveys: topographical land survey, surveys of the site, buildings, culvert and slipway, CCTV drain survey, asbestos survey, existing services search, services scan survey
Studies: Landscape design, flood assessments, highways, sustainability, heritage impact assessment, ecological study, planning study
Specialists: architect, quantity surveyor, structural engineer, funding consultant, property lawyer
Site investigation works - e.g. ground investigation, assessment of site clearance, contaminants, etc.
Architectural drawings in readiness for formal submission of planning applications

These shall allow us to assess and produce:

Detailed costings
A long-term sustainable business plan
Carbon footprint minimisation options for build and operation
Flood risk and management of potential flood waters
Impact on traffic in the area
Minimise the impact on wildlife and the general environment
Assessment of the structural design and build
Assessment of pool options
Geotechnical study
Identification, assessment and report on potential funding channels

An Established Approach

Our plan to bring Otley lido to fruition follows a common and well-established approach recommended by Swim England and utilised by other lidos such as Grange, Peckham and Broomhill. We are grateful to our friends and partners across the nation and the Future Lidos group for their invaluable advice in planning and progressing our project and look forward to continuing to engage with them.

It is worth noting that whilst our approach is best practice it is not without its challenges! Swim England advocate greater government funding "so communities can apply for grants to get design and feasibility studies completed – the costs of which can currently be a barrier to pools being built".