SwimTrek is thrilled to announce that yesterday, April 3rd, Brighton & Hove City Council granted Sea Lanes Brighton temporary planning permission to begin the transformation of the derelict Peter Pan site on Madeira Drive into a new site which will become the National Open Water Swimming Centre , open to all abilities to enjoy open air swimming on the beach. The development will transform the local area and is looking to become a central part of the community, creating new jobs and becoming a destination for leisure activities in the town. SwimTrek will also be a lead tenant in the development as it's new headquarters will based on the site.
The development is due to open in Spring 2020 and will look to transform this area of the area of the Brighton Seafront with the deliverance of a 25m open air heated swimming pool which will be accessible to all and providing much needed swimming facilities in Brighton. The pool will be able to accommodate those looking to gain confidence to swim in the sea as well as a fitness and training hub for public swimming, open water swimming events, triathlons, sea safety and lifeguard courses.
The swimming pool will be supported by 39 small business units suitable for retail, health and fitness, office space as well as a food court with street food kiosks and an outdoor seating area. The new development will create over 70 new jobs for the local area including lifeguards, a pool general manager and a learn-to-swim coordinator. In addition to SwimTrek moving it's head offices to the site, plans for the Sea Lanes business unites have already attracted interest from around 20 local businesses ranging from fitness specialists to food offerings.
With planning agreed, the Sea Lanes Brighton team are looking to begin construction later this year with summer pop-up running on the site in the meantime, including an endless pool, sauna, spa and an events space for such as yoga sessions, community talks and film screenings. Joe McNulty, Sea Lanes Brighton Director, explains:
“We are delighted that Brighton & Hove City Council has granted us permission to go ahead with the first phase of our plans. Sea Lanes will benefit the local community by providing an heated outdoor pool open all year round that will introduce people to sea safety and provide Brighton with much needed additional swimming pool space. '
'Sea Lanes will be built using a kit of movable components and detailed design beings immediately with further announcements due later this year. In the meantime, we are running a summer pop-up on the site from now until October to give the community a flavour of what’s to come. Exciting times ahead”
SwimTrek Founder Simon Murie also added: "Our vision has always been to encourage more people to experience the delights of swimming in open water and the SeaLanes development aims to help with this process. In an age of squeezed public finances, this development is solely privately funded with the goal of creating a space for all to enjoy. It has been a long journey to this stage and we're now another step closer to realising our dream.'
'It’s exciting times for SwimTrek as we are a joint developer and the major tenant at the site. We want to be at the centre of the open water swimming community and SeaLanes will help put us there."
Further information and more images of the site development can be found at www.sealanesbrighton.co.uk
