Historic lido set to reopen as repair costs approved

A historic lido which closed over safety concerns is set to reopen this summer after councillors agreed to fund essential repair works.

Stroud District Council previously warned Stratford Park Lido in Gloucestershire could remain closed indefinitely due to the need for an estimated £5m of repairs.

But on Wednesday, councillors unanimously voted to scale back those plans and instead allocate £276,000 towards urgent maintenance to enable the site to reopen in August.

Kathy O'Leary, chief executive of Stroud District Council, told a committee meeting: "If we don't do something now, we might lose it in the future."

A risk assessment conducted in February reported major hazards at the site, including a cracked foundation and excessive corrosion in the pipe work and pool tank.

The council warned temporary fixes would require "significant expenditure" without addressing the underlying problems, leading to the lido's closure for the 2026 summer season being announced.

However, the Save Stroud Lido campaign group argued the £5m quote included "unnecessary" changes like adding heating and making the pool shallow throughout.

"We love the lido as it is," explained campaigner Ali Pitt, whose family has used the pool for generations.

"It needs some immediate remedial work doing, but we need to get people back in there. We need to keep it open."

Fellow campaigner Caroline Molloy added: "We've been told by everyone that once the lido is closed, then it's so hard to get it back.

"So actually keeping it open this summer and bringing the joy is really important to helping restore it as we go forward."

The council's strategy and resources committee had already set aside £200,000 of revenue budget for repair and maintenance works.

Its approval of the extra £276,000 of funding on Wednesday is separate to a plan to borrow £900,000 for capital works. If agreed, those funds would be used for major improvements at the lido.

"We'd have loved to do the big exercise but that just became impossible with our revised financial position," said council leader Chloe Turner.

"What we're doing now is working much more closely with the community and I really welcome that. I think the long term solution will look much better," she added.

Councillors are now discussing ways to attract more visitors to the pool, including introducing cold water swimming sessions, hosting doggy paddles and extending opening hours.

A free lifeguarding course and qualification was also suggested by the council to encourage more people to work at the lido.

The council said the lido was now scheduled to reopen on 14 August, with the potential for an earlier opening date of 29 July providing no further issues were identified.

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