Dating back more than 200 years, Cleveland Pools was once the summer favourite for generations of Bathonians. After a 14-year campaign to save the pools, the Trust was awarded a £4.7m grant to bring the heritage site back into use as a community pool. 

The latest funding was awarded through The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Emergency Fund, which provides funding for those most in need across the heritage sector.

“The Cleveland Pools Trust is immensely grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for its continuing support and confidence in the project team in its efforts to move forward and deliver this unique project. We are all working in unprecedented circumstances and the trust is delighted with the encouragement and assistance that it is receiving from its major funder,” said Paul Simons, chair of the trust.

The trust has decided to delay the planned start of works on site until spring next year. Due to the site’s proximity and reliance on the river Avon as the primary means of transporting plant, machinery and materials to site this will greatly minimise risk to the project in the event of adverse weather over the winter period.

Over the coming months it will update the business plan in light of the impacts of Covid-19, alongside completing design work ahead of starting on site. The trust is due to sign a contract with chosen contractor Beard Construction in February 2021 and is scheduled to be open for swimming in summer 2022.