The Save Our Lido Stroud (SOLS) campaign has welcomed confirmation from Stroud District Council that work on Stroud Lido remains on schedule for the pool to reopen on Saturday, August 15.
SOLS has also welcomed agreement from the council on a number of proposals put forward by the campaign. These include keeping the pool open for as long as possible into September, weather permitting, opening the baby pool, working with the community to organise opening day events, and avoiding around £70,000 of unnecessary expenditure after technical testing confirmed that the existing filter lining does not need replacing.
Caroline Malloy from SOLS said: “We’re pleased to see steady progress towards reopening the Lido this summer. The community has worked incredibly hard to get to this point, and it’s encouraging that the council has listened to several practical suggestions that will both improve the visitor experience and save public money.”
The group says there is still more that can be achieved for the 2026 season. It is calling for longer and simpler opening hours, ideally from 10am to 7pm, a trial of removing the advance booking system to improve accessibility, at least the same level of early morning lane swimming as last year together with a dedicated swimming lane during general opening, and protection of sunbathing and viewing areas through alternative design solutions.
Looking beyond this summer, SOLS is urging the council to begin a genuine public conversation about the Lido’s long-term future.
The campaign is calling for an open public consultation starting this summer, joint planning of further improvement works from October onwards, and consideration of the Lido alongside the wider leisure centre and Stratford Park to ensure all three facilities remain sustainable.
The group also notes that around £900,000 of capital funding previously approved for the Lido remains available unless the council decides otherwise.
SOLS believes successful outdoor pools are built on three principles: an affordable and accessible core offer of swimming and sunbathing, strong links with surrounding facilities, and additional activities that generate income throughout the season.
Among the ideas the group hopes to explore are a café, evening events, swimming clubs and lessons, outdoor fitness sessions, film nights, youth events, dog swims, a temporary sauna and other attractions that have proved successful at outdoor pools elsewhere.
Caroline added: “This isn’t the moment for another grand vision sitting on a shelf. It’s the moment to involve the people of Stroud. The reopening this summer gives us a unique opportunity to engage those who’ve campaigned to save the Lido, those looking forward to returning, and those we’d like to welcome back. If we harness that community energy now, we can help ensure the Lido thrives for another 90 years.”
