A CAMPAIGN team has unveiled their vision for what swimming in Promenade Park’s lakes would look like if it were brought back.

The campaign began with a petition in May this year, and has since gathered more than 3,000 supporters.

The number of signatures received means that Maldon District Council must now debate the issue at a full council meeting, with the campaign’s committee having officially submitted their plans.

Swimming in the lakes in Promenade Park has been banned since 2002, after 45-year-old Kevin Gay died when he hit his head on a submerged post after diving in.

The committee proposes the depth of the lake will be 1.5 to 1.8 meters deep in the middle, with a sill put in place to allow the lake to refresh at high tides with water from the neighbouring River Blackwater, at an approximate rate of 50 per cent.

There would be no diving boards, but a disabled access ramp would be installed, with a floating depth marker for the one hour of high tide.

There would be a pipe fitted for emptying of the lake at extreme below freezing temperatures as and when required to reduce the possibility of the lake freezing over, to be refilled again at the next high tide.

Finally, they also have plans for Edwardian style changing huts to be created, with potential sponsors being considered.

There are no proposals to use cleaning chemicals in the lake as it would be fresh high tide water, and no pumps would be used due to the tidal movements of the river.

Marie Ellis, of the campaign’s committee, said: “It’s been quite a fast journey, it all started only four months ago with a couple of hundred supporters and now it’s exploding.

“It’s very surreal, and none of us can quite believe how successful it’s been in such a short space of time, but it clearly shows how many people want this lake filled with people.”

“Everything that we’re campaigning for has been put to the district council, we’re just waiting for them to consider debating it.”