A MEETING will be held next week to gauge public opinion over plans to turn Droitwich's historic Lido into a health spa.

Wychavon District Council will hold the meeting at Droitwich Community Centre on Tuesday.

The council has joined forces with an Anglo-German company, Calypso, to turn the Lido into a hydro-health centre with five indoor pools, saunas, spas, and health and beauty treatments.

At the meeting in the Heritage Way centre at 7pm, Calypso will give the first public presentation of the plans.

As part of the deal the council will contribute £500,000 and a 99-year lease for the park.

The Save a Lido Today group is encouraging as many people as possible to attend the meeting to ensure Droitwich residents have their say.

"The council has called this meeting at very short notice and SALT accuses them of doing so in order to minimise the attendance," said David Parkinson, the pressure group's treasurer.

"We think they intend to steamroller this scheme through, regardless of what Droitwich people think, and we believe the only real consultation would be a town vote on the issue.

"We'll challenge Droitwich Town Council to insist that there is a town vote."

SALT believes the entry fee for the proposed health spa will be beyond the price range of ordinary people.

It also claims that the outdoor pools will be reduced in size, that other parts of the lido park will be at risk from future development and that the council has seriously underestimated the value of the 99-year lease.

The group proposes that the lido should be renovated and developed under a charitable trust.

"I'm grateful to the SALT group for publicising the meeting," said Brian Norfolk, Wychavon's head of community services.

"It's a public meeting to which everyone can come along and find out for themselves more about the project."