Historic lido could reopen amid repair cost review

A historic lido could reopen this summer after councillors agreed to explore lower cost repair options.

Stroud District Council had warned Stratford Park Lido could remain shut indefinitely due to safety concerns and an estimated £5m repair bill.

It meant £900,000 which was set aside for the lido's maintenance was due to be reallocated, but this has now been halted while independent surveys assess the minimum cost of reopening the lido.

The Save Stroud Lido campaign group said previous plans included "unnecessary" upgrades such as heating, and welcomed the U-turn from the council.

Stratford Park Lido was built at a cost of £20,000 on council-owned land in 1937.

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

The council said temporary fixes would still require "significant expenditure" without addressing the underlying problems, leading to its closure.

At a meeting on Thursday, the authority's strategy and resources committee backed an amendmentto seek a way to reopen the lido this summer - reversing the direction set by the community services and licensing committee in March.

Councillor Katy Hofmann said she was "hugely relieved" to have agreed upon a way forward.

"People from right across the Stroud district, young and old, have been extraordinary in making their voices heard, and the committee listened," she said.

"The shift in focus from locking the gates in the hope they might one day reopen, to actively searching for ways to safely open this summer really matters to the people who depend on this community asset for their physical and mental health, social life and general wellbeing."

A spokesperson for the Save Stroud Lido group said it was grateful for a "chink of light" for the lido, but remained sceptical over the timeline.

"We hope that the significant shift in tone from councillors last night [Thursday] will be matched by a shift in pace," they said.

"We remain concerned by the lack of urgency and clear timescales - particularly as the debate last night revealed just how much the council has already run the clock down."

The campaign group said it had hired independent chartered engineers to assess the damage, who told them only minor improvements were needed.

The plan, which was submitted to councillors last week, shows a pathway to opening the lido by the school holidays, for a cost of approximately £120,000.

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