Renovations to the roof and structure of a historic Grade II-listed lido in Reading, UK, may take place while delays in the planning process of a £3m (US$4.9m, €3.6m) spa complex continue.
Redevelopment of the dilapidated King’s Meadow Baths into a spa has attracted significant interest – with high volumes of planning inquiries – since the council selected the complex as its preferred choice for the renovation in October, putting a 250-year lease out to tender.
A separate application has been submitted to Reading Borough Council, up for approval next month, which would allow minimal works to be carried out. These works include replacing the crumbling roof and adding insulation.
“It is essential for us to try and retain as much historical fabric of the building as possible,” said Arne Ringer, from developers Thames Lido Ltd. “Any major collapse of the structure would be very difficult to bring it back into shape.”
The pool traces its ancestry back to 1860 as a bathing area, while the current structure was built at the beginning of the 20th century. Originally closed in 1974, the lido received Grade II listing from English Heritage in 2004 – two years after the King’s Meadow Campaign (KMC) formed to protect the disused pool from demolition.
Reading council rejected a plan to build a hotel on the site in 2009 and the KMC endeavoured to renovate the lido, but only raised £10,000 (US$16,642, €12,064) in two years.
