Calls to restore lido which once housed dolphins

Residents have called for action to restore a Grade II listed lido which they say is "perilously close to falling into the sea".

Nearly 500 people have signed a petition calling for urgent work on Worthing Lido in West Sussex.

The petition demanded the lido - which once temporarily held dolphins while the Brighton Sealife Centre was being rebuilt - was restored to its "former glory" and called for Worthing Borough Council to reveal its plans for the nearly 100-year-old structure.

The council said the lido was a "treasured asset" and it would be asking "individuals, organisations and communities in the new year to be part of safeguarding this asset as we can't do this on our own".

The council spokesperson added: "The conversations will include how this asset and others, including the pier, could be funded in the immediate future, as well as the long term."

The petition, which was started by resident Elaine Deed, said it was "distressing to witness the sad state of Worthing Lido".

"Our beloved lido, once a symbol of local heritage, now stands in disrepair, marked by graffiti and perilously close to falling into the sea," she said.

"The Worthing Lido is more than a structure; it's an embodiment of Worthing's rich cultural history and cherished memories, enjoyed in the past by locals and visitors."

There was originally a bandstand on the site in 1897 but it was replaced by the current bandstand in 1925. By 1957, the site was converted into an unheated swimming pool.

It even temporarily held dolphins in 1988 while their permanent accommodation at Brighton Sealife Centre was being rebuilt before the pool was covered in 1989.

Other residents told BBC Radio Sussex that the lido looked "dilapidated".

Worthing Borough Council said last month that the effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels, would put extra pressure on the lido and the rest of Worthing's seafront.

It had concerns over whether the ground beneath the lido could support a more heavy duty structure.

The council said the advice given to it by structural engineers was that the chalk bed where the lido sits could in fact support the new, deeper foundations that higher sea levels and stronger tides would demand.

This means that if the council is able to secure funding – which it said was likely to run into several million pounds - the lido could be preserved or reimagined for decades to come.

Councillor Rita Garner, the council's cabinet member for regeneration, said: "This ground survey shows that the lido can be preserved and protected as an attraction despite the impact of climate change, once we have found a way to fund such a project.

"In 2025 we'll work with the community to map out a way to revitalise the lido for our town for the decades ahead."

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