More than £1m secured to protect Worthing’s lido

Worthing Borough Council has allocated £1.29m of Community Infrastructure Levy funding - money paid by developers to support local communities and infrastructure - to pay for essential work to strengthen the lido’s substructure and enable its long-term regeneration.

This is the first time such a significant sum has been set aside for the lido.

Key stakeholders are working together as part of a new focused approach to bring it back to life for future generations. Surveys have taken place this year to assess the load-bearing capacity of the lido’s substructure.

The lido needs significant investment just to ensure its long-term safety, with millions of pounds likely to be needed to shore up its foundations.

In December 2024, the council received advice from structural experts that the chalk bed on which the lido sits could support strengthened foundations. Since then we have been exploring options to secure the substructure of the Grade II listed building.

As the lido is such an important part of Worthing’s heritage, the council is closely discussing its options with The Worthing Society, Historic England and West Sussex County Council. The priority is to resolve the issues with the substructure before the building deteriorates to the point where full closure becomes unavoidable.

Once an agreement has been reached about what approach should be taken with the substructure, the council say they will launch a marketing campaign to find a partner to take on the project of redeveloping the lido buildings and space. They say heritage groups and the community will all have a key role to play in helping shape the best option for Worthing.

In the meantime, the council is working to get a detailed assessment of the total cost of the work required to the substructure. Early forecasts suggest the work will cost at least £4.5m.

Talks have also begun with West Sussex County Council and other partners about securing additional investment, but it’s expected that other sources of funding will be needed to bridge the remaining gap to the target.

Councillor Sophie Cox, the leader of Worthing Borough Council, said: “The community has made it clear how much the lido means to them and that they want us to invest in it for the decades to come. We’re determined to make that a reality.

“Using more than £1m from the Community Infrastructure Levy shows our commitment to turning plans into action, but we know that more is needed to cover even the least expensive substructure solution.

“The conversations we’ve had with important community groups like The Worthing Society give me confidence that we’re all working together with a shared purpose.”