Save Yorkshire Swim Works

Aim: We are no longer crowdfunding for Yorkshire Swim Works because the site was sold at auction on 12 July. Read on for details about refunds.

Yorkshire Swim Works is an ambitious project to turn the former Victorian-built water treatment works on Thornton Moor into a self-sustaining and inspirational centre for outdoor activity and outdoor swimming. 

(Image credit: Planit - thank you for your amazing Pro Bono work on the project)

The big dream

A truly unique and once in a generation opportunity to create an incredible asset that’s going to be amazing for the local community for decades to come.

It’ll be an exciting and fairly long journey to purchase, plan and build Yorkshire Swim Works, and we will work for our community to give us all the best chance of making the dream a reality for this area.

We’ve already come so far, and we’re well on our way to making this happen.

Help us to raise £65,000 in 2 weeks

Sadly, the current landowners, Keyland Developments (sister company of Yorkshire Water), are putting our site up for auction on July 12th.

We’re here to ask you to kindly give Yorkshire Swim Works C.I.C. a chance to buy the site for the community, which will kick start the journey to build an incredible landmark for our beautiful part of West Yorkshire. 

Please help us to raise £60,000 in 2 weeks to buy the site before or at auction. We actually need £65,000 in total to cover associated fees.

A bit of background

We’ve spent 2 years developing the project; exploring several funding strategies and trying to convince Keyland and Yorkshire Water to partner the project in a way that aligns with their Blueprint and Six Capitals.

The funding plan we had to secure the site is robust, but will take a few months, and Keyland’s commercial ambition sadly does not align with our community ambition, and they’ve been unwilling to listen to the plan.

Keyland have quoted a price of £160,000 to the Yorkshire Swim Works C.I.C, but now are putting forward an auction guide price of £110,000 - we presume they're doing this to attract the highest bid from a housing developer. We don’t know why they would prefer to do this instead of supporting a community project either. 

The site is being sold with expensive liabilities:

• For years, the neighbouring homeowners have asked Keyland to fix their retaining wall, and they have not, and it continues to crumble. The estimated repair cost stretches to £100k. 
• There is also asbestos on the site - with estimated removal costs of £30k 

We know there is one underground treatment basin which we assume would need to be filled, and there is likely to be underground pipework that could need attention. 

The site is on greenbelt, but we have very positive conversations with Bradford Council for this project - they, as everyone we speak to, love the ambition of Yorkshire Swim Works and what it represents for the region. 

The site is being sold with suitable access by negotiation - but thanks to the community-minded and forward thinking local farmers who own the land, we have a very sensible guide offer in principle on the table.

We’re not phased by the liabilities, and think we could tackle these problems by coming together as a community. Keyland Developments on October 7th 2022 stated that they would recalculate their net book value of the site following the repair quote for the wall. On October 13th this quote came through at up to £100,000 and was presented to YSW in June 2023.

As such we believe the net book value is at most £60,000 and that’s what we are asking from you!

About the Site

Thornton Moor Water Treatment Works was once one of the major filtration sites for water that fed the local area. It has been derelict for over 2 decades and has fallen into a state of disrepair. 

The site sits at the intersection of a number of major walking and cycling routes including the Brontë Way and the Millennium Way. With beautiful views over the waterways and reservoirs, it is a truly unique opportunity to do something magical in our beautiful part of West Yorkshire. We would be upset if it was sold to a property developer for housing. 

It’s going to be amazing for the local community

Naturally filtered swimming pools will be at the heart of the project, providing incredible health benefits year-round. In addition, the site will feature:

• Sauna
• Cafe/Restaurant
• Community Room
• Office space for rent or local sports clubs to use for free

Lodges on site for overnight stays will ensure the financial sustainability of the site whilst delivering affordable swimming opportunities for the local community. The project will be a catalyst for local clubs to work together and encourage more people to get out and enjoy the beautiful moor on their doorsteps.

(Image credit: Planit - thank you for your amazing Pro Bono work on the project)

How we see things working

If we raise £65,000 we will attempt to buy the site prior to, or at auction. If we are successful in purchasing the site, first of all we will celebrate! 

We’ll then need to raise money to meet our obligations on the liabilities (fix the neighbours wall), develop an incredible scheme with the community, to allow us to apply for planning permission so that we can build Yorkshire Swim Works and preserve the heritage of the site in the most beautiful manner. Just imagine the benefits it will bring to the area! 

The plan to facilitate this is by applying for support from the Community Ownership Fund and will in due course be initiating a Community Share Offer which will see our community have the opportunity to own and be a part of this incredible project. We envisage a huge dose of community spirit to see us through this stage.

If we don’t manage to raise this 2nd stage of money, we would over time pursue every avenue we can to meet our obligations as swiftly as possible so that the liabilities no longer reside with Yorkshire Swim Works C.I.C.

We have had positive feedback from National Lottery Heritage Fund about future funding and believe the site has a fantastic chance to secure planning permission and raise the next round of investment that will make Yorkshire Swim Works a reality. 

If we can't buy the site

In the event that we are unsuccessful with the purchase of the Thornton Moor Water Treatment site, sadly that will be the end of the Yorkshire Swim Works. It really is all or nothing! 

We will return all donations over £50. There will be administrative time and costs associated with this but we will return these donations. 

For donations under £50, we will distribute these donations (after fees) to a combination of local causes which will be chosen by a poll.

Thanks to everyone so far

We thank everyone who has already supported the project throughout negotiations with Keyland Developments (Yorkshire Water), including:

• Alistair Brownlee
• British Triathlon
• Swim England
• Future Lidos
• Kersten England (CEO Bradford Council), and Bradford Council
• Calderdale Council
• Robbie Moore MP
• Benjamin Myers
• Oxenhope Parish Council 
• Several businesses and individuals who have given enormous amounts of time and advice and pro-bono work
• As well as hundreds and thousands of local community members. 

If you can’t donate, here are some ideas of things that you can do:

• Post and share this Crowdfunder page through your social networks
• Let your favourite inspiring celebrities know about our fight
• Can you think of anybody that you know that might be able to help in any way at all? Please, put them in touch with us
• If none of the above, tell a friend, just one, you never know where that might lead 🙂
• Give your time to the project if you have any suitable expertise - from repairing walls or removing asbestos, to legals and governance, to comms and pr

About Yorkshire Swim Works

Yorkshire Swim Works is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company limited by guarantee, registered in England no.13687113. 

Yorkshire Swim Works was conceived during a lockdown quest to find amazing + safe places to swim outdoors. The idea was shared with a group of expansive thinkers, and has grown into a project that goes beyond swimming, with enormous potential.

Yorkshire Swim Works is being developed by an enthusiastic and talented working group who have specialisms in commercial strategy development, community engagement, advocacy, communications and PR, heritage + culture, marketing + branding, the outdoor swimming + lido sector, landscape, architecture and design. 

About Keyland Developments:

Keyland Developments are a sister company of Yorkshire Water, both owned by the Kelda Group that is in turn owned out of the USA, Singapore, Germany and Australia. Keyland Developments are responsible for the sale and development of parcels of land that were given to Yorkshire Water during privatisation in 1989.

Kelda Group is owned by a handful of asset managers from around the world: 

GIC Special Investments (Singapore) 33.56%
Corsair Infrastructure Management (USA) 30.32%
Deutsche Asset Management (Germany) 23.37%
SAS Trustee Corporation (Australia) 12.75%

Please read their Blueprint and Six Capitals here

(All generated images are courtesy of the amazing people at Planit who have given their own time to help create an early vision for the site: https://planit-ie.com/)

This project closed unsuccessfully on 20th July 2023