£1m upgrade will safeguard lake’s future

Swimmers say they will miss using a marine lake while it is closed for a £1m upgrade, as “cold water brings you alive”.

Work being carried out at Weston-super-Mare’s seawater pool includes the construction of more public toilets and resurfacing steps and ramps.

The repairs mean the lake will be shut until April 2026, but the work will safeguard the pool’s future, council leaders have said.

Jan Doyle, who co-founded volunteer group, The Weston Marine Lake Mudlarks, said: “The lake has been an absolute godsend. Warm pools make you lazy and relaxed, whereas cold water brings you alive.”

Ms Doyle said while the lake, which is used for swimming, paddleboarding and canoeing, has “become a massive asset” to the town, it was in urgent need of repair.

“The walkway around the lake is very old and in places is quite dangerous, and also some of the steps are broken up due to the lake overtopping – clearly that can’t go on,” she said.

Ms Doyle said the “complicated job” will take a while to complete due to the tides, as work on the walkways and steps cannot happen when the lake overtops.

The work has been estimated to cost about £1m and will be funded with some money from North Somerset Council’s successful bid of £20m from the government.

Councillor Mike Solomon, cabinet member for culture, leisure and open spaces at the council, said the refurbishment was important to safeguard the lake’s future.

“This is the only outdoor swimming area we’ve got on our seafront, so it is really important to us,” said Mr Solomon.

“I grew up in Weston and as a Western boy, this is special to me.”