The 'Save Saltdean Lido' Campaign update

On Monday 17th May at the second of the three public meetings called by the leaseholder (Denis Audley) he stated that during the 10 years of his lease the number of tickets sold had dropped from 15,000 p.a. to 1000 p.a. today. He attributed this to bad summer weather particularly during the holiday month of August, but the audience was more inclined to blame poor facilities and poor maintenance. A full survey of the premises in 2007 had costed the structural repairs needed at £800K. DA claims that these repairs are the responsibility of the Council and there is no point in decorating the premises until they are carried out.
The Council represented at the meeting by Cr Linda Hyde, Chair of the Planning Committee and Cr David Smith also on the Planning Committee emphatically denied that repairs were the Council's responsibility. Cr Smith stated that a 146 notice requiring repairs had been served on Mr Audley. They also stated that the Council had never considered this site for residential purposes. Cr Hyde said that urgent consideration was being given to preparing a planning brief for the site.

DA's design consultants Camplan, represented at the meeting by Mark Strawbridge had costed the residents "wish list" for the site plus renovation at £4M . The extent to which residents' wishes can be catered for is dependent on the number of residential units that will be allowed and this is still under discussion with Council planning officers. The number 80 suggested by Camplan has been deemed unacceptable by the Council. Mr Strawbridge showed drawings of the Lido with a 5 storey residential development situated behind it. This was not too unsympathetic in layout but the height was a matter of contention and Camplan's position was not helped by some very strange scaling on a side elevation.

On the whole Mr Audley now seems to be very much on the back foot in this affair and, this being the case, it was embarrassing that some residents chose to descend to personal attacks. It is completely irrelevant where Mr Audley lives or that, like most of us, he is "only interested in money".