Skip to content

Seaside paddling pool to reopen after £500k revamp

Grace McGrory
BBC News
East Lindsey District Council On the right hand side of the photo is a paddling pool which has only been partially filled with water. The pool floor is visible and is electric blue with a yellow border. There are workmen to the right who are finishing the maintenance work. Overlooking the paddling pool to the left hand side of the photo is the new Seaview Colonnade - a modern building dominated by a glass frontage. East Lindsey District Council
The new-look Maple Leaf Pool next to the Seaview Colonnade pavilion

A popular paddling pool is due to reopen on Saturday after renovation works costing more than £500,000.

The Maple Leaf Pool, in Sutton on Sea, Lincolnshire, which closed in 2023, has been given new interactive water play features among other improvements.

The final bill of £524,000 was £124,000 over budget, which East Lindsey District Council blamed on the cost of a new underground filtration system, as well as a rise in the price of materials and labour.

Councillor Martin Foster, the portfolio holder for operational services, said: "The pool has been a part of the history of Sutton on Sea, and we're pleased to see that it's going to be open for people to come along and enjoy."

Tennis courts and a new children's play area have been installed nearby and will also open on Saturday.

East Lindsey District Council A play area filled with play equipment. On the right-hand side there is a wooden structure with steps and ladders, a bridge from one side to another, and a green slide. On the left-hand side, a roundabout and another slide. East Lindsey District Council
A new play area is designed for children of all ages and accessibility needs, the council has said

The Maple Leaf Pool originally opened in 1954 and was a gift from the Kin clubs of Canada, following the North Sea floods of 1953.

The new facilities are part of the council's £7.5m Seaview Colonnade project, which involves redeveloping the town's Colonnade and Pleasure Gardens.

The centrepiece of the project is a new pavilion, including a cafe, restaurant and exhibition space.

Mr Foster said negotiations were being held with potential operators of the building and he hoped the facility would be open for activities and workshops over the summer.

The paddling pool project was supported by a grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund, the council confirmed.

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.

More on this story
Related internet links