Stroud District Council’s Strategy and Resources Committee has backed a Labour-led amendment to explore reopening Stratford Park Lido this summer, reversing a decision taken in March.
Under the amendment, the £900,000 set aside in the Council’s capital programme for Lido maintenance will not be reallocated until independent survey results are fully examined and the minimum cost of safe reopening is known.
Cllr. Katy Hofmann, Leader of the Stroud District Council Labour Group, said: “I’m hugely relieved that we now have an agreed way forward to develop a plan to open the lido this year. People from right across the Stroud district, young and old, have been extraordinary in making their voices heard, and tonight the committee listened.
“The future of the Lido is such a big issue, and Labour councillors have always believed it should be based on clear, expert evidence, not personal opinion. 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.
“We now look forward to getting on with that work and working with council officers, fellow councillors and the community to go further and secure the future of the Lido in perpetuity. And when the time is right, we’ll be calling for a full review of how we got to this position, and what the council can learn from the way decisions were taken.”
The Stroud Town Meeting on 20 April at St Laurence’s Church, Stroud, at 6pm remains an important opportunity for the community to speak about the Lido’s long-term future.
