Stroud mayor Tony Davey has dived into the debate over what to call Stratford Park’s outdoor swimming pool, following renewed discussion about whether the facility should be referred to as a “lido” or simply an “outdoor pool”.
A 2017 public consultation, run by Stroud District Council, Stroud Town Council and the Friends of Stratford Park Lido, asked residents to choose from a selection of names for the facility.
The most popular choice was “Stratford Park Lido”, which has been used as the name of the pool ever since. But the issue has resurfaced following the pool’s reopening, with a number of people taking to social media to argue that it should return to being called Stratford Park Outdoor Pool.
The issue has now caught the attention of Stroud Mayor Tony Davey, who has waded into the discussion as the much-loved facility enjoys a renewed lease of life following its reopening.
He said: “A 2017 public consultation run by SDC, Stroud Town Council and the Friends of Stratford Park Lido tested a selection of names with the public. The most popular was ‘Stratford Park Lido’, which is how the pool has been referred to since then.
“It is quite acceptable to refer to the location in whichever way makes you feel the most comfortable (including but not limited to ‘outdoor pool’). The word “Lido” seems alien to many, but it is a word that describes what it is, without detracting from being an Outdoor Pool.”
