A blueprint for success? Jersey group praises La Vallette in bid to boost Lido bathing pool
ITV Channel's Rory O'Regan reports on the plans discussed for the Havre des Pas Lido.
A cross-community group has published plans to take over running Jersey's Havre des Pas Lido amid concerns over its long-term future.The Lido Steering Group, formed of politicians Deputy David Warr and Deputy Tom Coles, local business owner Rebecca Gavriel, the Lido's commercial tenant Marcus Calvani, architect Richard Le Sueur, daily pool user Gerry Leonard and Jersey Water Polo Association's Max Treharne, hopes to ensure the Government's Property Holdings Department upholds all its obligations as landlord of the Lido. The group was created after a proposition was filed on the matter by the St Helier Constable, Simon Crowcroft, in the States back in 2022. There have been growing concerns about the condition of the Lido, which has a leaky roof, and the availability of public toilets on the site. In a newsletter, the group said it hopes to negotiate a nine-year lease on the Lido with the current operator of the facility. It also hopes to take inspiration from the renovation of Guernsey's La Vallette Bathing Pool which was led by community charity Vive La Vallette.
The Lido Steering Group says it believes a similar model could be used to regenerate the Lido at Havre des Pas if they can create their own, similar charity. The group says work is in progress to register a Limited Company by Guarantee that will apply for Charitable Status to take over management of the Lido by forming a partnership with Jersey's government. Gerry Leonard, who swims in the Lido bathing pools on a daily basis, told ITV News: "I've been swimming down here for 25 years and we became aware that one of the work was getting done properly."The toilets weren't getting cleaned properly. The maintenance of the whole complex wasn't getting done properly either. That's why we formed the steering group to get in touch with the Government's Property Holdings to keep them informed of what needs to be done."He added: "If you've ever been to La Vallette in Guernsey, they went through the same thing. They were frustrated with the way the Government was using their swimming pool."When you see the work that they've done [Vive La Vallette], it's absolutely amazing. This is what we want to do here."Mr Leonard says he would like to see the Lido introduce hot showers in the changing rooms and a sauna installed to make it more "user friendly" and encourage new people to come and spend time and money there.
Constable Simon Crowcroft, now the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure, told ITV News that while he backs efforts to take inspiration from the work done at La Vallette in Guernsey, he, and the Minister for Infrastructure, Constable Andy Jehan, want to give other people outside the Lido Steering Group chance to express interest in maintaining the site. He said: "What we both feel is that we need to have a blank sheet. We need to put the administration of the facility out to public tender because we're pretty sure there are people that are very keen to express what they could do and that might well be the sort of community endeavour that's running La Vallette bathing pools in Guernsey so it's a great example for us to follow."Constable Crowcroft added: "It [the Lido] has suffered from a lack of investment and I think, at the same time, people recognise that it's a really important facility both for local people, particularly people living in St Helier, and for visitors, but also, it's part of the iconography of Jersey. People see the Lido as one of the key images of Jersey and that's really important when we come to advertise ourselves on the wider stage."Constable Crowcroft says he hopes islanders will have a "pretty good idea" about who and how the Lido will be operated by Christmas and says he wants to see the Lido given a "new lease of life" going forward.
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