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Droitwich Spa Lido consultation

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Droitwich Spa Lido consultation

A new era for Droitwich Spa Lido

Four men stood in front of an outdoor swimming pool holding information boards.

Wychavon is proposing a multi-million-pound improvement scheme for Droitwich Spa Lido and we want to know what you think of our plans.

The Lido project is part of a package of exciting leisure and wellbeing investments we’re making in Droitwich Spa as part of our We Are Wychavon Plan.

Read on to find out more about what we are proposing and how to give your views.

The need for change

Droitwich Spa Lido is already a significant visitor attraction in Worcestershire and the South Birmingham sub-region. The Droitwich Spa Town Centre Investment Prospectus, published in May 2022, identified the Lido as a site that could help put Droitwich Spa on the map nationally as a health, wellbeing and leisure destination. This could help kick-start the wider regeneration of Droitwich Spa Town Centre, as well as make the Lido more financially sustainable in the future and less reliant on Wychavon for support funding.

What we have done so far

Working with Droitwich Spa Place Board, One Creative Environments and Gleeds, we have come up with different options to enhance the site.

We especially wanted to make the most of the Art Deco building which is mainly unused, by converting the upper floor into a restaurant space with stunning views of the pool.

We have come up with three possibilities, with option three being the preferred choice of Droitwich Spa Place Board and Wychavon.

The options we turned down

  • Option one

    This option includes making just minor extensions to the wings of the buildings and some small changes to the Lido environment and entrance from Worcester Road.

    Estimated cost: £4.2 million

    Reason rejected: We didn’t think this was ambitious enough and wouldn’t deliver the change needed to make the Lido sustainable in the long-term or provide significant benefits to Droitwich Spa Town Centre.

  • Option two

    This would involve more significant extensions to the wings of the buildings, creating space for covered seating areas outside. More substantial changes would be made to the area surrounding the pool, and a new attractive entrance would be created off Worcester Road. This would include a dedicated footpath to the Lido.

    Estimated cost: £5.1 million

    Reason rejected: While delivering a more significant change to the Lido, it is mostly cosmetic and fails to make the most of the opportunities available from bringing the Art Deco building back into use. We believe this option is unlikely to lead to any significant boost to the wider town centre area.

Option three - the preferred option

This is the option we are proposing to put to councillors for final approval. It will cost an estimated £8 million.

Below are some of the key features of the proposal, along with images showing how the new lido could look.

  • Better Access

    An enhanced and safer entrance to the lido would be created from Worcester Road including a dedicated footpath.

  • Wing extensions

    Wing extensions would be created to join the existing café building with the Art Deco building which would be brought back into use.

  • Brine experience

    The extended cafe and lower and upper floors of the Art Deco building would be turned into a brine pool experience, spa and leisure facilities.

  • New cafe

    A new café would be created at the south end of the site (where the current water play and beach area is) for users of the lido and Lido Park.

  • Upgraded look

    The area surrounding the lido pool would be upgraded.

  • Lido extension

    The lido grounds would be extended to include a new family-friendly swimming area. The current free water play area would be relocated elsewhere in Lido Park.

How the new lido could look

Below are some images of how the new lido could look under option three. They show the extended lido grounds, improved surrounding, improved access and new cafe. Click or swipe to view.

An overhead shot of how the new lido could look under option three
An eye level view of how the new lido pool could look under option three
How the new cafe could look under option three
An overhead shot of how the new lido could look under option three
An overhead shot of how the new lido could look under option three

Why we are recommending this option

Option three is the only one that allows us to fully meet the vision in the Droitwich Spa Town Centre Investment Prospectus. It has the support of the relevant stakeholders in creating an inspiring, yet practical development.

A new purpose-built café will improve the customer experience and a restaurant will create opportunities for it to operate later into the evening, adding to the town’s nighttime economy. Restoring some sort of brine bath experience to the town will enhance the site’s attraction to visitors from a wider area and increase the exposure to the town’s heritage asset. These enhancements provide a blueprint for making the Lido a more commercially sustainable visitor attraction.

Tell us what you think

You’ve read what we think, now we want to hear your views.

Do you agree with what we’re proposing in option three? Have we missed anything? Do you have suggestions of your own for what you would like to see at Droitwich Spa Lido?

Have your say by filling in the Droitwich Spa Lido Improvement  Consultation online feedback form.

Deadline for responses is 11.59pm on Sunday, 15 December 2024.

Give us your views

What happens next

Your feedback will be presented to councillors who will be asked to approve the improvement scheme early in 2025.

If they agree with what we are proposing, then we expect work to get underway by 2026.

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