Community group seeks control of Rath site after paddling pool closure
Campaigners have set out an ambitious £20 million proposal to redevelop the Rath in Milford Haven into a year-round outdoor swimming and wellbeing destination, and are calling on Pembrokeshire County Council to release the site through a Community Asset Transfer. The plan, promoted by the Pembrokeshire Lido Park Society, comes after the Rath’s existing paddling pool was closed on 13 July because of faults linked to ageing equipment.
The society is asking the county council to begin the formal transfer process so it can carry out the feasibility studies, planning work and funding applications necessary to deliver the scheme. At present, campaigners acknowledge that no construction funding has been secured and the project cannot enter the main capital funding stage until there is certainty over control of the land.
- Proposed facilities: a 50-metre outdoor pool, a diving pool, children’s splash and paddling area
- Support facilities: accessible water facilities, changing rooms, a café and visitor amenities
- Current status: existing paddling pool closed; site not transferred; funding not secured
Michael Allen, chair of the Pembrokeshire Lido Park Society, said the closure of the paddling pool, though disappointing for families, presented an opportunity to pursue a much larger regeneration project rather than simply repairing the ageing facility.
“The news that Milford Haven’s paddling pool will not reopen this year will disappoint many families. Generations of local children have enjoyed the Rath, and everyone wants to see young people enjoying safe outdoor water facilities again. But rather than simply replacing an ageing paddling pool, we now have a unique opportunity to create something far greater for Milford Haven and for Pembrokeshire.”
What the society wants and what still needs to happen
The society’s vision is wide-ranging: a full-size 50-metre outdoor pool, a separate diving pool and purpose-built children’s splash and paddling areas, together with accessible water facilities, modern changing rooms, a café and other visitor amenities designed to support year-round use. The group argues that such a facility would serve Milford Haven and the wider Pembrokeshire community.
However, the society has been clear that the project remains at an early stage. Before capital funding bids can be prepared and lodged, the community benefit society must establish control of the site. That requires the county council to open the Community Asset Transfer process, which would set out the terms under which the society could lease or acquire the land to progress feasibility work, surveys and planning applications.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Estimated project cost | £20 million |
| Key elements proposed | 50m pool, diving pool, children’s splash area, accessible facilities, changing rooms, café |
| Current site status | Paddling pool closed since 13 July; major fault with ageing equipment; will not reopen this year |
| Immediate next step | Begin Community Asset Transfer process with Pembrokeshire County Council |
Local impact and wider context
For families who have used the Rath for generations, the closure of the paddling pool will be a tangible loss this summer. The society frames that loss as a catalyst for a longer-term regeneration that could broaden leisure provision and potentially boost visitor appeal in the area. The proposal also reflects a growing interest in community-led stewardship of public assets, where local groups seek control of sites to secure services and finance redevelopment.
At present, the outcome rests with the county council, which has not yet begun the transfer process. Without a formal transfer and the accompanying certainty over land control, campaigners say they cannot move from ideas and feasibility work into major funding applications and construction planning. For Haverfordwest residents, the proposal is a reminder of how decisions about council-owned assets elsewhere in the county can shape leisure choices, economic opportunities and community ownership across Pembrokeshire.
The Pembrokeshire Lido Park Society has set out its ambition and awaits a response from Pembrokeshire County Council on the first legal and administrative steps needed to progress the scheme.
