Saltdean Lido will remain open over the winter for the first time after a community poll came out in favour.
The pool will be open on weekends only from Saturday 21 October until Sunday 28 April.
The pool will be heated to 19C (66F) and will be open from 8am to noon every Saturday and Sunday for both lane swimming and open swimming.
A winter season ticket for the pool is priced at £95 for adults, with season tickets also available for young people and families.
But Lido bosses said that the main pool would not be open to children of seven and under because of the dangers presented by cold water. The children’s splash pool will also be closed.
Saltdean Lido said: “We had such a great response to our recent poll asking if you would like us to stay open throughout winter that we have decided to take the leap and open the Lido this winter, for the first time ever.
“However we are very much relying on you to make this possible. In order to make this feasible, we need enough customers.
“The operating costs of running the pool are very high so we are relying on all of those who registered their interest in the winter season ticket to support us with this.
“We know how passionate our regular swimmers are about the health benefits of outdoor swimming and hope that the Lido will offer people a safe alternative for outdoor swimming when the sea is too rough in winter.”
The winter season ticket is due to go on sale at 9am tomorrow (Monday 18 September).
Pay as you go sessions will be available, space permitting, but Saltdean Lido said that without enough season ticket holders, it would not be able to support the running of the pool.
Saltdean Lido chair Derek Leaver said: “Having taken over the management of the pool, we want to make the most of the fantastic resource we have.
“There are many outdoor winter swimmers locally and the sea can be treacherous so we are offering a safe alternative in our pool, heated to 19C, with lifeguards and hot drinks and food available.
“As a not-for-profit organisation we just need to cover our costs and the result of a local survey suggests there is sufficient demand for us to do this. We’ll only know for sure once tickets go on sale tomorrow.
“We are opening on Saturday and Sunday mornings initially. If we have enough subscribers, we’ll look at increasing opening times subject to, as always, availability of lifeguards which we are required to provide.”
The pool will be closed for two weeks after the Lido’s Dogtember swims – for dogs and their owners – for draining, deep cleaning and a water changeover.
The mobile sauna unit Sauna Corner will be based on the lawns at Saltdean Lido over the winter and a poolside airstream café will also be serving hot drinks and snacks.
The restoration of the Lido is nearing its final stages, with a ballroom, library and gym to open in the art deco building.
Great way to waste a huge amount of energy while people will be struggling to heat their homes
Those things are not even related, nor is there a shortage of energy, or if how a business runs affects anyone else…I don’t even know where to start with how stupid this comment this.
Be outraged at the cost of greed crisis, sure, but actually direct that anger to the current government that caused it, not make random stupid comments about a swimming pool.
Hear Hear – well said! Sick of people jumping on the poverty band wagon.
Will you be able to heat the changing rooms?
Geeat I swim in the sea till mid November but then it gets to rough
How much for a season ticket for someone on pension credit?
Hi will you be doing a day visit ticket for £10 would love to come and visit from Horsham.
Let’s hope that with this new winter opening they will no longer need the dog swim from next year forward. It would have been lovely to be able to swim this month with the current weather we have.
Funny how the dogs swims over the last few years have contributed massively to the restoration of the lido yet you want them to stop ! They raise thousands each year being the lidos major fund raiser !! The pool is an asset for everyone not just a select few!
No, the major funds for restoration came from the heritage lottery funding which was around £7.5 million.
The dog swims raise around £50k a year but are a unique and popular event in the quirky British calendar.
Some owners swim in the water at the same time as their dogs so I doubt there is a problem with hygiene and I’m sure the filtration system works properly to remove hair etc.
I’m not aware of any research but would expect the average human to deposit more filth in the water than the average dog.. dogs have a naturally protective oily coat whereas humans have all sorts of products on their skin i.e deodorants, sun cream, soap and also plain b o etc etc
Hope they are deep cleaning it after all the dogs have been in it.
So you didn’t read the article?
You didn’t read the article, did you Sarah? That’s embarrassing.
Don’t be a dick Benjamin. Stop playing the know it all, get a life and put down the keyboard.
The Lido should have stayed open during September instead of closing when the schools returned. The weather was beautiful, as most September’s are and I was looking forward to a swim without loads of children in the pool. Please add at least a month to your open every day schedule if you can, it would be appreciated. Then the dogs and then the winter opening which is a great idea and I would love to try it as not brave enough for the sea. So pleased you are open to ideas from local swimmers. Thank you
19 degrees? Positively balmy compared to the good old days of the 60’s and 70’s when the water was so cold it hurt your forehead, even in summer! Enjoy! (Sadly I no longer live near enough to be able to take advantage)
19 degrees – that’s warmer than my house.
Does that mean we’ll be banned from using the public car park like we were for the dog’s swim? No notices but a guy in florescent jacket wouldn’t allow us to park without a dog!
It’s not a public car park is your misconception there.
Actually it is – so who’s embarrassed themselves now Benjamin…
It is NOT a public car park. Saltdean Lido CIC are the lease holders and have full responsibility for both the main car park and the Tavern one.
Sorry, my mistake Sheila – it’s just that I’ve been quite freely parking there since the 1960’s. It is, however, legally defined as a Public Place – just as a Tesco car park is due to the public having free access to it (even though Tesco actually OWN the land rather than lease it as you say SL CIC do). I just don’t like the sarky way Benjamin jumped on Sarah and then Janet with his cocky attitude. If you can’t say something nicely then keep schtum.
That’s great news long may it continue