A heated open air swimming pool is among the attractions planned as part of a new leisure centre on the derelict Peter Pan’s Playground site on Brighton seafront.
A proposal for a £3 million year-round leisure centre on the site is due to be considered at the Brighton and Hove City Council Economic Development and Culture Committee meeting next week.
The scheme has been submitted by Brighton developer Copsemill Properties and partners.
The council said that the scheme could transform the land at the old Peter Pan site in Madeira Drive in Kemp Town which has remained derelict for several years.
The council said: “The proposal includes a 50-metre heated open air pool, changing facilities, a café, indoor endless pools, exercise studios, facilities for cycling and running and on-site bike storage.
“The centre would serve as a hub for swimming and sports-related businesses with office space and meeting rooms, units for sports-related retailers, including pop-up shops for special events taking place in Madeira Drive, training rooms, a library and lecture theatre.
“The swim centre would be the core of the development and provide escorted sea swims, training for lifeguards, open water and leisure swimmers and education about open water safety for children and parents.
“The proposal also includes a plan to create a boardwalk to facilitate access to the beach and sea for disabled users.
“Funding for the project would be through private investment, at no cost to the council.
“Brighton’s long-standing reputation as a health resort dates back to the 1730s when British physician Dr Richard Russell proclaimed the therapeutic benefits of bathing in, and drinking its sea water.
“The city is also home to England’s oldest sea swimming club, founded in 1860.”
The chairman of the council’s Economic Development and Culture Committee, Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, said: “As owners of the Peter Pan site we have been marketing it for redevelopment as a leisure facility that would enhance the area and draw in residents and visitors.
“This development would not only be a centre of excellence for the increasingly popular sport of open water swimming but also appeal to families, fitness enthusiasts and beach visitors.”
Should the committee grant an initial consent, the developers may then seek planning permission after a public consultation.
Final agreement for the project would still be required by the council’s Policy and Resources Committee.
The Economic Development and Culture Committee is due to meet at 4pm on Thursday (12 March).
They should just put that massive apple back there and be done with it.
They could build it at Black Rock, where there is a suitable vacant development site and all the nearby facilities of Brighton Marina.
Can’t build it there; where would all the gypsies (that our incompetent and incapable Green Council loves so much) park-up?
Wow that would be fabulous!!!! Especially if it’s heated so it can be open all year round…..
It looks amazing but SURELY Brighton needs a decent 50m indoor pool first? Other cities have great facilities- Crawley has K2! Where’s our great all weather leisure complex?
I agree. Brighton needs a decent 50m indoor pool first. Besides, haven’t the Saltdean Lido Community Interest just secured 8 million pounds to restore the UK’S only grade II* listed lido! The business plan from these private investors seems a carbon copy of their business plan too? – with triathlon training facilities, community hub and café to boot! the CIC is a not for profit organisation too – Isn’t that why BHCC are their partners? Confused!
Great idea
They should speak to the people that converted London fields lido. It’s been hugely successful and is a credit to the area.
With that at the finish line… I’d consider running the marathon for sure!
great idea but it will never happen…Brighton planning dept are stuck in the 1920’s
Brighton’s record on development is hopeless. Visually, Brighton is quite a depressing place-rotting and literally falling down! The town and council have absolutely no idea about how to regenerate or create wealth. Brighton gets around listing status by allowing heritage buildings to become unsafe so that demolition is necessary. If you want an out door swim complex or leisure complex then move to another town. Trust me I have lived in Brighton 30 years and it gets worse and worse.
Should put one back in Worthing that Peter pans every one liked and did not wont it to go
Hang on!!!
Hmmm, this proposal sounds familiar. The business proposal sounds like a carbon copy of the Saltdean Lido restoration proposal which for 4 years have outlined a business plan for outdoor swimming facilities suitable for triathlon trainers and families, exercise studios, corporate hire space, and a community hub. It’s funny, it even includes a library!! The only difference seems to be that the Saltdean Lido project is a not for profit group which will run the facility for the benefit of the city, not a commercial return for private investors. I think there’s also been a recent announcement that this group of volunteers have secured 8 million pound, (real money ready to go). It’s also the UK’s only grade II* listed lido. I thought the council were their partners. I’m very confused!!
I love the idea of any new pools, but surely as a holiday destination and a city that is home to many families we need a fun pool too? Some slides, a wave machine and so on? Burgess Hill has the Triangle, Crawley K2, Horsham the Pavillions… Brighton and Hove has the KA (which was great in 1984 but is not the most exciting place now). There are at least several exercise pools in town already but not a decent slide in sight. Come on let’s have some fun!
It would be BRILLIANT if it comes off, particularly as the Prince Regent pool in town is not very convenient (being too small, narrow and often over crowded – given over to schools, lessons etc) but I suspect it’s too good to be true. Having lived in Brighton for 15 years I have little faith in the council doing the right thing.
What is wrong with rebuilding Black Rock Swimming Pool at Black Rock? On a site where there used to be a hugely popular outdoor swimming pool? A pool that was demolished for no reason? A site that his been left derelict ever since, for some unknown reason? A swimming pool that the people of Brighton & Hove would like to see returned to them? That would regenerate that area? That could also be used as an ice rink for the winter months?
develop black rock area instead, not Peter pans , it seems way too narrow and small for a development of that size, black rock is huge and a waste of space.
its will be good i would go with my kids all the time my kids would love this
This sounds amazing but in 15 years of living here, I’ve never seen a major seafront development idea actually come to fruition. How about sorting out the embarrassment that is The King Alfred 1st?
Peter Pan’s playground is not derelict. It’s a perfectly lovely (and modern) playground that my daughter enjoys. Someone needs to get their facts straight. Perhaps they *are* talking about Black Rock.
http://www.brightonrun.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=91&Itemid=76
I really really want this to happen!!! BEGS COUNCIL
but i love peter pan area please put it somewhere else
A property of this magnitude seems too great for this slender piece of land and as mentioned above deems to be a pretty similar cut and paste of our gorgeous Saltdean Lido. Also parking, will there be enough to warrant a private venture? There’s also the King Alfred proposal too for their 50m pool. Support the Lido i say but in the meantime look out for my own pioneering way of swimming teaching in our own purpose built swim centre, the council have already granted me a D2 lease and our works starts imminently using double sized flow pools, feel free to can catch up on our progress through our FB account search “aquanauts Brooker st Hove”.. (apologies in advance as this is utilising free swimming advertising but it does seem to be the talk of the town- at least for today)
Black rock should be rebuilt in my opinion and a kiddies paddling pool next to peter pans site. Where is all the money going to come from anyway -all these ideas – let’s get the walkway at Madeira lift open first!
Good luck with this development I hope it happens sadly our council the vale of glamorgan are great at taking its towns money but wont give anything back we even have been told we have to pay for food refuse bags but they are increasing council tax the council have left me flummoxed we have been begging for 20 years to get our wonderful lido back.
Hi my name is sonny Keywood and I am campaigning to get an ice rink in my home city of brighton, have you ever thought about building a multi leisure complex like guildford have also if you build both of these facilities an ice rink can run of of the swimming pools temperature producer. Please visit my website http://www.sonnysicerink-brighton.com
So they are finally replàcing the paddling pool and the outdoor poolat black rock that i remember from when i was a child
Anybody remember the Brighton v. Worthing ‘It’s A Knockout’ programme being held in Brighton on Sunday 4th June 1967. It was held in an open air swimming pool and I believe it was at Black Rock?
I don’t believe it’s a knock one out was even conceived in 1967