The man in charge of the Sea Lanes project on Brighton seafront said that the planned outdoor pool should open in November.
Joe McNulty said that the open air pool would help revive the seafront along Madeira Drive as well as benefiting local schools and colleges
And now that Brighton and Hove City Council has granted Sea Lanes Brighton a five-year temporary lease, the scheme was a step closer to fruition.
The lease is subject to the project being given planning permission on the site of the old Peter Pan playground.
The plans include an outdoor heated swimming pool which Sea Lanes said would transform Brighton into a national centre for excellence for open water swimming, bring the seafront back to its former glory and act as a further catalyst for the regeneration of Madeira Drive.
Sea Lanes said: “The pool will be heated and open to everyone, of all swimming abilities, individuals wanting to swim to get fit and those training for open water swimming events and triathlons.
“Open water swimming has seen a 20 per cent annual growth since the 2012 London Olympics and the Sea Lanes swimming pool will contribute significantly towards the city’s swimming pool provisions – which currently reach only 44 per cent of the government’s target.
”The locally driven development has been designed to benefit the local residents and the local economy while the wider regeneration plans for Madeira Drive are developed.
“Work on the meanwhile scheme is expected to commence later this year.”
The company said that it was “an integral part of the Brighton and Hove community”, made up of businesses and individuals who are passionate about open water swimming.
They include members of the Brighton Sea Swimming Club, QED Sustainable Urban Developments, Copsemill Properties and the winners of the 2017 Queen’s Award for Enterprise, Swim Trek.
Sea Lanes boss Mr McNulty, who is also managing director of Copsemill Properties, said: “The swimming pool will benefit local schools and colleges and will allow children, parents and carers to take part in sea safety and lifeguard courses.”
Councillor Alan Robins, who chairs the council’s Tourism, Development and Culture Committee, said: “Madeira Drive is an important part of the city’s tourism calendar, drawing in thousands of visitors a year to events like the Veteran Car Run and the Brighton Marathon.
“The Sea Lanes development would be a fitting addition to the eastern end of our seafront and complement the popular and successful Yellowave beach sports venue.
“I look forward to seeing the plans unfold.”
Mr McNulty added: “By using a kit of moveable and reusable parts, we are able to create a sustainable, robust and affordable solution while permanent plans are developed.
“The pool will be supported by circa 10,000 sq ft of commercial space and the development will create around 70 new jobs and opportunities for the local community, bringing a much-needed and long-awaited rejuvenation to a much-loved area of Brighton seafront.”
He said that the commercial buildings were intended to attract businesses that would support the ethos of creating a national open water swimming centre and would include local leisure-focused firms.
