Lottery could splash out for pool

FIRST steps towards seeking lottery funding to restore Ipswich's Broomhill Pool were under way today.

On Friday, The Evening Star revealed how the dilapidated lido could dip its toes into a huge pool of lottery cash.

And now officials from the Heritage Lottery Fund are to visit the pool within the next few weeks to see whether it would be eligible for financing.

Members of the new trust set up to develop the pool were hopeful they would be successful in the application.

Ipswich councillor John Mowles sits on the steering group trying to develop the much-loved open air pool.

He said the group had already looked at the possibility of seeking lottery cash, but that the Evening Star's revelations about the huge pot of money available had given new momentum.

Mr Mowles said: "The article in the Star the other night looked very promising for us, so we are hoping to push things fast now.

"We had already been in touch with the lottery authorities, but this has given us fresh impetus."

Campaigners are all too well aware that a huge amount of money would be needed to spruce up Broomhill Pool to the standard remembered by generations of Ipswich families.

And lottery chiefs would need to be convinced before loosening the purse strings on a sum which could hit £3million.

But Mr Mowles said the first step could be to try to get lottery cash to pay for a full survey of the pool.

He said: "We know that before we can get a substantial amount of money there will have to be a full survey.

"Our first aim will be to get financing for that survey – rather like the funding we obtained before drawing up the restoration plans for Christchurch Park. "There is still no certainty about getting any money from the lottery, but we are much more hopeful after what the lottery people told the Star and we are looking forward to working together with them to try to restore the pool."