Our Vision

There is widespread community, political and business support to recreate Otley Lido in its historic riverside location in Wharfemeadows Park. We commissioned leading sport and leisure consultancy FMG Consulting and Saunders Boston Architects to undertake a 'Feasibility Study and Outline Business Plan for the Redevelopment of Otley Lido'. This established a feasible and viable plan to sustain a heated pool – open seasonally for six months of the year – as the centrepiece of a year-round community, health and wellness hub.

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FoOL’s inclusive vision extends beyond the boundaries of the venue by contributing to a vibrant Otley Riverside. Alongside new affordable ‘formal’ activities, our ambition is to inspire and enable people to enjoy the generic benefits of parks and green spaces plus the existing resources on offer. We recognise many people improve their health and wellbeing through their own ‘informal’ activities – this may simply be a stroll and/or social interaction. Through supporting these activities and facilitating social connections the benefits can be expanded to a wider range and greater number of people.

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​View our vision, mission and values.

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​Our Plan

To enable this, the venue would include a welcoming, free to access community hub – comprising café, riverside terrace and WCs. This would augment the existing resources – alongside addressing current deficiencies – enhancing the riverside user experience.

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Additional versatile ‘dry’ facilities include multi-purpose rooms, outdoor spaces and a ‘home’ for Wharfemeadows Bowling Club. The ‘wet’ facilities add a heated pool (25m x 12m with 6 lanes), wet play area (128m2) and beach huts. Combined with the supporting infrastructure – e.g. separate dry and wet changing spaces, management zone, etc. – the user experience would be as outstanding as the location and views.

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Between April and October, the programme would include all the activities traditionally associated with an outdoor pool – family fun times, casual and fitness swimming, lessons, relaxing and lounging, water based fitness classes, pool hire, etc.

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The ‘wet’ programme would be complemented by a diverse year-round range of ‘dry’ offerings such as health, wellbeing, social and cultural activities; community spaces for hire (helping to meet local demand); plus corporate and community events and activities.  This shall broaden the appeal to those who otherwise would not visit a health and wellness space. Not only does this deliver greater community benefits and social value, it also diversifies the revenue streams and the sustainability of the business.

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FoOL is also keen to identify and explore opportunities to contribute to social initiatives. For example, nurturing learning and development through volunteering, linking the venue with the area’s social history, hydroelectric facility, Gallows Hill Nature Reserve, etc. The combination of venue and riverside provide a unique setting for (green) social prescribing, school trips, children’s holiday clubs; etc. and may enable participation in initiatives and schemes (e.g. Healthy Holidays Leeds, Mental Health Swims, etc.).

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The Triple Bottom Line

The indicative capital cost of the ‘Full Development’ is £3.7m – generating a net operating surplus of £16,000 per annum. However – to mitigate the challenges and risks associated with a project of this nature – a ‘Transitional Phase’ has also been developed. This delivers all the ‘dry’ facilities bar one smaller multi-purpose room. The indicative capital cost is £1.1m – generating a net operating surplus of £1,800 per annum.

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The wet play area would also fulfil Leeds City Council’s ambition "to develop an outdoor water play facility in one of our parks" potentially without incurring the capital and/or running costs.

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The project is aligned with the ‘3 Pillars’ of Leeds City Council's ‘Best City Ambition’. With projected visit numbers of circa 100,000 per annum – plus the free to access community hub building additional users of Otley Riverside – the contribution would be considerable.

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There are well known ‘health and wellbeing’ benefits from physical activity and social interaction. A more active nation also brings economic benefits. Every adult who advances one level on the activity scale creates around £1,400 per annum of social value (Sport England, 2024). The venue would only need to inspire and enable 100 adults to achieve and maintain this over a period of 30 years – a typical lifespan for a pool – to offset the capital cost.

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Additional social and economic value would be created – plus ‘inclusive growth’ achieved – through inclusive provision (accessible, affordable, variety of events and activities, community hire, etc.); volunteering opportunities; social initiatives; riverside infrastructure improvements including free access; benefits to the local economy; etc.

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The pursuit of ‘zero carbon’ includes “Investing in our public spaces and infrastructure to prepare Leeds for future climate impacts” – such as a lido and outdoor activity spaces – particularly when sustainable development is demonstrated (e.g. renovation of disused buildings, promoting ‘staycationing’, green energy, active travel, etc.).

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These combinations of factors result in Social Return On Investment of £3.91 for every £1 invested in community sport and physical activity in England (Sport England, 2020).

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Capital Funding

Capital funding shall be sought from a variety of sources including national and local grant providers (e.g. National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Lottery Community Fund, Sport England, etc.); foundations and trusts; corporate sponsorship; Community Share Issue; legacies, bequests and donations; and Community Infrastructure Levy – Strategic and Neighbourhood Funds. FoOL is keen to work in partnership with Leeds City Council and elected officials to maximise our prospects of securing funding.

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Mitigating the Risks

Our plans are ambitious but also realistic and rightly cautious. They are underpinned by a feasibility study and outline business plan developed by a leading sport and leisure consultancy with expertise in pools and lidos. They also draw on the experiences of a growing lido sector responding to a developing market. Our Community Interest Company volunteers are committed with highly relevant expertise. Our vision is costed and designed to ensure stewardship of the site for the benefit of stakeholders.

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The Next Steps

Leeds City Council is a key decision-maker and enabler in the future of the project. Firstly, through determining if it wishes to continue its long-standing support. Secondly, in resolving a number of uncertainties which shall enable FoOL to invest additional community funds – already raised and available – to progress in accordance with our project strategy.

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FoOL has submitted an outline business plan to Leeds City Council and asserted that when ‘best consideration’ is given to the site our project represents an excellent Social Return On Investment, a sustainable option, and a significant contribution to ‘Leeds Best City Ambition’.

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View the future steps in more detail and how we reached this point in 'Our Journey'.​​