An influential society that campaigns for the preservation of architectural heritage around the country will visit Broomhill Lido to help take the matter of saving the pool to "the national level".
About 40 members of the Twentieth Century Society will visit the town as part of the Ipswich Sacred and Secular Tour on Saturday, September 23.
The visitors will view five of Ipswich’s 20th century churches, the Willis Building, the Ipswich Co-op mosaic, as well as Broomhill Pool – which will be a highlight of the visit.
Broomhill Lido closed in 2002 but plans have been in the works to bring it back for several years.
The Twentieth Century Society actively supported Broomhill Pool’s Grade II listing in 2001, made the lido its building of the month in 2006 and has consistently added its written support and weight during key moments of the 20-year campaign to save the facility.
To celebrate the 85th anniversary of the opening of the pool, the 20th birthday of the Broomhill Pool Trust, and this month's site visit by the Twentieth Century Society, the trust has arranged a new print run of Broomhill Pool’s 1938 Souvenir Opening Programme.
Mark Ling, chairman of the Broomhill Pool Trust, said: "The Twentieth Century Society is an influential group, kind of the national champion for buildings and heritage.
"The trust is delighted to welcome their members and will provide them with an overview of the pool’s history and present status.
"They've been incredibly supportive of Broomhill Pool over the years, especially after the Levelling Up bid failed. They help us raise Broomhill Lido to a national level, to bridge the gap to get the restoration moving ahead."
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Ipswich borough councillors have recently discussed the current situation with the pool - but the public was excluded from attending the talks due to commercially sensitive financial issues.
However, it is understood that the details they heard gave them grounds to be optimistic that the multi million-pound project to give the lido a fresh lease of life could be restarted.
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