Hopes are rising that the financial gap that has prevented the start of work on restoring Broomhill Pool could be overcome.

The plight of the pool was raised in the House of Commons on Monday when a government minster said she hoped to work with the town's two MPs to try to get work started.

Ipswich MP Tom Hunt and Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Dr Dan Poulter both spoke in the debate - the constituency boundary passes through the pool site.

Mr Hunt tabled the debate - and said that when he was elected in 2019 it appeared that the restoration of the pool was finally ready to go ahead with Heritage Lottery Fund money promised alongside finance from the borough council and operators Fusion Lifestyle.

Unfortunately the pandemic lockdowns that started just a few months later and the inflation that followed meant a £2.5m hole had opened in the funding.

Mr Hunt told the Commons that there remained a great deal of public support for the pool's restoration - and there were hopes that money could be found from county council funds and possibly extra from the Lottery.

Levelling up minister Dehenna Davison said she was particularly interested in Art Deco buildings like Broomhill and would like to visit the project.

She said she would do what she could to speak to officials about finding new ways of supporting the restoration.

After the debate Dr Poulter added: "The Heritage Lottery Fund remains supportive of the project and now there is hope that additional money could be made available from Suffolk County Council. 

"Added to this, we have secured a commitment from the Minister to visit Broomhill Lido and to support us in helping to find the final chunk of funding which is needed to reopen the pool.”