Broomhill Lido pool: MP Penny Mordaunt asked about funding

Ipswich MP Tom Hunt asked a question asked the leader of the House of Commons to respond to the plea to save Broomhill Lido pool.

During the Commons Chamber that took place on Thursday, January 26, Mr Hunt asked the leader of the House, MP Penny Mordaunt, about funding options for Broomhill Pool after it did not receive money from the Levelling Up Fund.

MP Penny Mordaunt (Image: PA)

The question followed Mr Hunt and Central Suffolk and north Ipswich MP Dan Poulter's meeting with Sports Minister, Stuart Andrew MP, to discuss funding options for Broomhill.

Hot weather at Broomhill swimming pool, Ipswich Dated Aug 1990 (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Hunt said: “I raised Broomhill Lido in Parliament today at my first opportunity.

“It was a blow last week to miss out on the extra funding it needs, but I’m continuing to pursue other options. The amount needed isn’t huge, and all avenues need to be explored.

Ipswich MP Tom Hunt (Image: House of Commons)

“I got an interesting offer of support from Penny Mordaunt in response to my question.

“She has a similar lido in her constituency, and I’m keen to learn from her experience to see how we can get ours funded.

“I also have a meeting with the Sports Minister and Dan Poulter coming up to discuss other funding options.”

The Ipswich MP added that they need an extra £1.5-2 million to push the project over the finish line, as £7m has been already raised for its restoration.

An architects' impression of the restored Broomhill Pool by KLH Architects (Image: KLH/ Broomhill Trust)

Mr Hunt added: “I’ll be doing what I can to try and secure this funding for Broomhill.”

The government had recently rejected Ipswich's application for Broomhill Lido pool.

By 2020, the borough council had put £1.5m into the project, while Fusion Lifestyle had provided both £2m itself and £3.5m through its application to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Covid then hit, which had a strong impact on Fusion and caused it to need a further £1.8m loan from Ipswich Borough Council for Broomhill Pool.

The recent fuel price increases and inflationary pressures have resulted in the need for another £1.1m, which was plead from the Levelling Up Fund.

Broomhill Pool in 1970 (Image: Newsquest)

Mark Ling from the Broomhill Trust, which has been campaigning to reopen the pool since it closed more than 20 years ago, launched a last-ditch appeal to find the funding in a bid to resurrect the project.

In an open letter the group set out the stakes by appealing to the three partners to try to close the funding gap.

Members of Broomhill Pool Trust, including long-distance swimmer Mike Read MBE, with Conservative councillor Liz Harsant and MP Tom Hunt at Broomhill Entrance (Image: Broomhill Trust)