Yorkshire Swim Works: Search for new site for outdoor swimming pool continues after disused moorland reservoir sold to mystery buyer

Yorkshire Swim Works had identified the old Thornton Reservoir near Oxenhope as the ideal location for the natural, open-air leisure resort with sauna, cafe and eco-lodges, and had the backing of Bradford Council and Keighley MP Robbie Moore.

The land has been retained by Yorkshire Water’s estates arm, Keyland, since the works became obsolete around 30 years ago, and parts of the site have become derelict. Due to rising maintenance costs, Keyland put the reservoir up for sale at auction earlier this month.

The Swim Works volunteers had already offered £160,000 for the site, but it sold to the highest bidder for £202,000 and their intentions are unknown.

Over 1,000 supporters contributed £66,000 to a crowdfunding campaign to try and secure the land.

Project manager Caroline Kindy said: “Despite the overwhelming support of the local community, the site will instead benefit the new owner alone rather than the community and the wider area.

“Keyland Developments made this decision for the sake of £42,000. This £42,000 that means nothing to the overseas asset managers who own Yorkshire Water and Keyland Developments but prevents a community project that would have benefitted thousands of people."

Swim Works are now searching for a new site and welcome suggestions of land that may be available to them across Yorkshire. They would prefer somewhere that makes use of derelict assets and is close to access routes.

Ms Kindy added: “Yorkshire Swim Works, a volunteer-led organisation, tried for more than two years to partner Yorkshire Water in creating a safe place to swim and an incredible asset for the community, and are still happy to have a meeting with them to discuss future opportunities.”

Discussions between the parties over the past two years had ended up with no resolution on either a sale, lease or asset transfer arrangement.

Yorkshire Water said that it had offered Swim Works an exclusivity period on the purchase of the site, which had been extended twice to allow them to raise funds. As the land management is incurring costs, a decision on its disposal needed to be made.

A spokesperson said: “We’ve been in discussions with Swim Works for a few years about their proposal and offered to sell the site to them at cost value. We gave them a significant amount of time to get the funding together for the site, but due to various reasons this has not progressed. We’re now set to auction the site but told the group that we were still happy to sell them the site before that date.”

Yorkshire Water had no further comment to make after the sale.