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At a council meeting held last night (June 3rd), councillors unanimously voted for the funding that should see Stroud Lido open this August.
Stroud District Council’s Strategy and Resources Committee agreed to the additional funding needed to undertake the maintenance work required to open the pool this summer. The extra money will come from previous years’ underspend on the Lido.[1]
In March, councillors on SDC’s Community Services and Licensing Committee voted to close the outdoor pool.[2] This vote caused a public outcry resulting in a community campaign that has included a 4,000-signature petition, hundred of emails to councillors, flash mobs, a shop window competition, and support from local celebrities including Mary Portas. The strong local response resulted in councillors revisiting the decision a month later in April, agreeing funding for maintenance works.[3]
A spokesperson for Save Our Lido Stroud said:
“We are delighted. We look forward to swimming this summer with the families of Stroud, and we look forward to working with the council to develop a long-term future for the pool. So next year, and every year the people of Stroud District get to hang out and have fun in the pool, get to swim lanes and get to enjoy the gem that is the Stroud Lido.”
The latest report presented to the Strategy and Resources Committee justifies the additional £276,000 of funding for the Lido because “the proposal also creates opportunities, including improved health and wellbeing, stronger community engagement, and the potential to establish a more sustainable future for the Lido”. The report also notes the survey work forms part of work that “is essential to support a smooth transition under [local government] reorganisation”.[4]
Save Our Lido Stroud welcomes the decision, thanks everyone who has worked so hard over the past few months on the campaign, and looks forward to working with SDC to reopen the lido for the local community.
Want to get involved with the reopening of the lido this summer? Join our low-traffic Whatsapp group.
Notes:
[1] Strategy and Resources Agenda June 3rd – The Strategy and Resources committee meeting was held on Wednesday 3rd, chaired by Stroud District Council leader Chloe Turner (Green). It agreed £276,000 of additional funding required for enabling works to reopen the lido this summer and beyond.
[2] Community and Licencing Committee Agenda and Minutes 19th March 2026 – On March 12th 2026 a consultant-led plan costing £5 million, was published ahead of the Community Services and Licencing Committee meeting. The recommendation was that SDC could not afford the bill and so expected to close the Lido indefinitely .
[3] Strategy and Resources Agenda and Minutes 16th April 2026 – £200k had already been allocated at an earlier meeting of the Strategy and Resources Committee in April. There is also £900k of capital funds set aside for future works if needed.
[4] Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution – Local Government Reorganisation means that Stroud District Council is being abolished over the next two years, with a new authority in the county being created as part of a drive to cut costs. Town and parish councils will remain, and in some areas of the country are taking over assets and services to keep them in local hands, though as yet, Stroud District Council has not committed to undertaking any such transfers.