A new open air swimming centre with a host of facilities is due to open on East Brighton’s seafront in Spring 2023, with the backing of a £2.5m loan.

Set on the site of the former Peter Pan playground on Madeira Drive in East Brighton, the Sea Lanes development will feature a 50m heated outdoor pool – the new National Open Water Swimming Centre of Excellence – which will be the UK’s first outdoor swimming training centre.

The plans also include 23 carbon neutral modular units, which will house local businesses such as a bar, coffee shop, yoga studios, health and fitness facilities, plus retailers that fit with the overall ethos of the project.

Sea Lanes was formed by a group of Brighton-based businesses and open water swimming enthusiasts to encourage people to enjoy sea swimming and live healthier lives. The centre aims to cater to swimmers of all abilities, aiming to increase participation by overcoming accessibility barriers.

Triodos Bank UK, a sustainable bank focused on lending solely to organisations pioneering positive environmental and social change, has loaned £2.5m to the project.

Joe McNulty, Sea Lanes Brighton director, said: “We are grateful to Triodos for their support and pleased to work with partners that share our ethos of sustainability and passion for supporting local communities.

“We’re making good progress on the construction of the small business units and work on the pool is underway, which will provide the much-needed swimming facilities in Brighton. We look forward to welcoming you all to the first National Open Water Swimming Centre of Excellence next spring.

“The support we have had from the local community has been overwhelming and we are looking forward to providing the Brighton community with better swimming facilities, jobs and security.”

Adam Standley, Relationship Manager at Triodos Bank UK, added: “We were delighted to fund this dynamic and ambitious project on the Brighton seafront. This is a forward thinking, non-standard real estate development with physical wellbeing and environmental sustainability at its heart. Due to the nature of the lease that the site is held on, the basis of the Bank’s lending was calculated against the historic trading performance of the smaller original site, and the confidence we have in the forecast cashflow modelling – not a real estate recovery value.

“Through close work with our excellent customers and professional partners, we were able to overcome the various technical challenges that arose to begin drawdowns. This scheme is a great example of Triodos Bank’s commitment to providing bespoke financial solutions to businesses that are having a demonstrably positive impact on society and sustainability.”

Triodos received support from project monitoring surveyor MacConvilles, plus legal counsel from Clarke Wilmott.

Ben Coombs, MacConvilles director, said: “We are delighted to be able to support Triodos Bank and Sea Lanes Brighton to help deliver this fantastic scheme which will provide a great benefit to the local community here in Brighton.

“Community is at the core of our ethos as a business, and our real motivation has always come from doing what is right for our clients and the opportunity to support impactful, community-focused initiatives. As a local Brighton practice, this certainly ticks the box and is something we are delighted to be a part of.”

Bethan Evans, partner at Clarke Willmott, said: “We were delighted to be able to advise Triodos on the funding for this project, providing finance, real estate and construction input.  It’s a fantastic development that aligns well with our own ESG agenda, particularly our commitment to net zero and supporting the local communities in which we work.   We’re looking forward to a dip when the pool is up and running!”