A community group that was hoping to run the Havre des Pas Lido after a year-and-a-half long battle to try to take over the site withdrew from this process this week.

Representatives from Love Our Lido confirmed they were pulling their bid to operate the Lido site in an email to Jersey Business, which can be read in full below.

Governors of Love Our Lido, who were formed in July 2024, told Express that they would need £200,000 per year to run the site. During negotiations, government have consistently said they would not increase the £60,000 annual grant on offer.

Love Our Lido were selected as “preferred bidder” in the selection process once before, but talks over a lease collapsed in September. As a result, the “reserve bidder” – a commercial operator called First Point – was offered the lease.

But a review into the tender process found that there had been issues, and negotiations with Love Our Lido were restarted. These were due to conclude at the end of January, but with the group out of the race, First Point are now set to start negotiations with Jersey Business to agree a lease.

Read Love Our Lido’s email…

Dear Paul,

Further to your email last week, it is with deep regret that we write to inform you that the proposed Charity can no longer participate in the Tender process for the Havre Des Pas Bathing Pools.

As we know, there’s a mantra in business management that states “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it”. Without accurate data we live in fantasy.

The worrying inability of JPH or Jersey Business to provide any explanation for the irregularity in the electricity figures provided by Tim Daniels in September 2025 and yourself in January 2026 shows us nothing at all has changed and gives us no surety whatsoever in term of the accuracy of the essential data we require to have any confidence in strategizing and decision making towards a brighter future for the Havre Des Pas Bathing Pool.

There are many other concerns too and they essentially continue to mirror those that led to our initial decision in September 2025 and reiterated during this process. The terms of the Lease and lack of clarity in key areas were and remain the determining factors. It is very unfortunate that a number of months on, following independent reviews and the involvement of Jersey Business, these factors remain, and new areas of significant concern have arisen. For sake of clarity, these are:-

  • Funding – The financial contribution of £60,000 per annum remains wholly insufficient to maintain the site. The figures you provided, if wholly accurate, prove the point. The actual annual amount to maintain the site is closer to £200,000.  We feel this represents a significant lapse in the fiduciary responsibility that the Government has for this site and will lead to degradation of the asset, and a risk to life,
  • No explanation whatsoever for the differing electricity provided by Tim Daniels in September 2025 and yourself in January 2026.
  • Lease Terms – Fail to reflect the Charitable nature of our Proposal and are designed for a wholly Commercial operator.
  • Historic Planning Breaches – Planning breaches that relate to the original fitout of the site and that may preclude events or commercial activity taking place at the site.  These failings were known by the Landlord at the point of the Expression of Interest and during the Tender process and thus they were duty bound to declare them.
  • Current Planning Breaches – Planning breaches regarding works undertaken on the site in the last 24 months by the Landlord.  Again, these breaches were known and should have been declared.

It is noted that some of these areas can be overcome with time, but we don’t feel that that is feasible in the short timeframe required for Lease signing.  Additionally, it is again appreciated that Indemnities can be built into the contract that look to address these issues and protect the Leaseholder.  However, events of the last 24 months, the inability of JPH to provide consistent information and especially the Court proceedings in the last few weeks have left us with little faith that such formal assurances would be honoured.

I hope that it is clear how committed we remain to Havre des Pas Bathing Pools and ensuring that it continues to be managed in accordance with the original wishes of the Jersey Swimming Club. 

We have grave fears that the Government’s wish to underfund this site to save money will only lead to it falling into disrepair and becoming a danger to the Public of Jersey that use it daily. The only losers will be the people of Jersey, the owners of the site, who clearly asked for one outcome and are being delivered the exact polar opposite outcome.

We remain available to discuss this with you further if you wish and sincerely appreciate your time and effort. 

Kind regards

Matt, Sally & Giles