Hopes rise for lido reopening
HOPES of reopening Brynamman Lido have taken a step forward thanks to a funding boost of several thousand pounds.
Volunteers are working to raise enough cash to bring the lido back into use.
The swimming pool was built in Brynamman in the Amman Valley in the 1930s. However, it was closed in 2010 after freezing winter weather caused £20,000 of damage to the drains and pump house.
The Brynaman Lido Committee has now been awarded a Project Viability Grant of £10,000 from the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF).
The grant award will pay for professional advisors such as architects, quantity surveyors and consultants to work with the committee to produce a feasibility study to establish the sustainability of the exciting vision for the lido’s future.
Adam Hitchings, Wales development manager at the AHF, said: “We are impressed by the committee’s ambition to restore this much-loved lido and make it a focal point for the community.
“This grant has been made possible thanks to our funding partners at Cadw, the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Pilgrim Trust.”
Research will be led by Carmarthen-based Rural Office for Architecture, which said in a statement that it is “delighted” to be supporting the committee with proposals for its redevelopment of the historic community asset.
It added: “Working in the region for the past 15 years, we are passionate about supporting local initiatives that sustain and improve the health and wellbeing of valley communities.”
Historical documents, photographs and memories from local people will help to inform the refurbishment. While retaining the pool’s original appearance, the group will improve access and safety so that people of different ages and abilities will be able to use this beautifully refurbished facility.
The full project is estimated to cost around £1m and will take up to three years to complete.
The committee said that the support of AHF is a very important step on that journey.