Aerial pictures of the new Sea Lanes development show the site taking final shape ahead of its opening next month.
The new 50m swimming pool is due to be opened by retired Olympic medallist Kerri Anne Payne for invitees only on 1 June. It will then open to the public on 2 June.
Most of the commercial units next to the pool are already up and running, including Bison Beer, Luna Wave Yoga, Fika, Seagym Brighton and Wood x Coal.
These aerial pictures by Dave Mason show customers already enjoying Bison Beer’s roof terrace, overlooking the pool whose lanes are now in place.
Joe McNulty, Sea Lanes Brighton Director, said: “From our initial planning application in 2018, we are delighted to be able to confirm our opening date for the only National Open Water Swimming Centre in the UK to date.
“We have been on a long journey working with the local community adapting our design to reflect Brighton’s heritage and environment whilst regenerating a derelict brownfield site with what we believe will become another iconic Brighton destination.”
Duncan Anderson, CEO of South Downs Leisure said: “We are all extremely excited to get this unique project over the start line and welcome swimmers to Sea Lanes to train in a safe open water swimming environment.”
More than 1250 members have signed up to the Sea Lanes National Open Water Swimming Centre, which currently costs £50 a month. The pool will also be open to members of the public on a pay per swim basis, which is likely to be priced at around £10 a swim.
There are also beachside cold showers and lockers available for sea swimmers to use free of charge.
What concerns me about this pool, is that it’s shielded from the road by those buildings and it has a pebble beach that will be asking for trouble by mindless youths. They might throw stones during the day but they definitely will it’s in the middle if the night!
It’s very true Simon, I remember being 29 and I simply could not stop myself from throwing rocks at everything. A saw a pebble, it needed to be launched, then once I hit 30, those urges faded away and now I’m allowed in a variety of rock-based venues such as beaches, mountains, the GAK store in Brighton…
Simon Philips
They might throw stones, yet again they might not, all around this city vandalism happens and most this in locations that are not out of view so your point really makes no difference, if it’s going to happen it will regardless if its hidden or not.
The council should look after heritage items before embarking on new, expensive vanity projects. The state of the arches that have been left to decay over the last 15 years, along with the ill-conceived “new” lift whose design doesn’t fit into its surroundings (in favour of restoring the original lift),I could go on…
Completely different funding streams, Paisley.
Paisley Baguette
This project isn’t funded in anyway by the council and is a ‘private’ venture.
The whole development in that area is an eyesore that is not in keeping with the the heritage of Madeira Drive and the town generally. The pool looks like a sterile nuclear cooling pond surrounded by barbed wire and guard towers and those cuboid wooden clad “buildings” look like cheap temporary prefabs. I wonder if a private citizen would be granted planning permission to build a house like these buildings in the area or would heritage suddenly become the council planning department’s prime reason for refusing the application as “Not in keeping…”. Crossing palms with silver of not only the localTarot card reader helps perhaps?