Save Stroud Lido - Outdoor Pool

05/06/2026

We’re still absolutely buzzing after the decision to reopen Stratford Park Outdoor Pool this summer! 🌊🥳💙

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who supported the campaign — the community, swimmers, families, volunteers, supporters and everyone who made their voices heard.

And a very special thank you to all the media outlets who helped shine a light on the importance of the outdoor pool and kept the conversation going throughout the campaign. Your coverage genuinely helped amplify the voices of our community. 🎥📻📰

This has shown the power of people coming together for something they truly care about.

Please stay involved — and see you at the outdoor pool this August! 🏊‍♀️✨👇

https://savestroudlido.org/

Now let’s get the gates open and fill the pool with life, laughter and swimmers again this summer! ☀️🏊‍♂️💪



BBC Gloucestershire 🏊💙🏊
Get involved here 👇
https://savestroudlido.org/

04/06/2026

💙TIME FOR AIR PUNCHES! 🎉

Last night, SDC councillors voted unanimously to repair Stroud Lido and reopen it this August — and again next summer.

What a huge turnaround from March’s decision to close it.💪🏻

This happened because campaigners, residents and the wider community refused to give up. 💙

Now we need to jump in, show how much we love this pool, and keep pushing to protect it for years to come.🏊💙🏊

Please stay involved — and see you at the outdoor pool this August! 🏊‍♀️✨👇

https://savestroudlido.org/

04/06/2026

🥳 Stroud Lido set to open this summer after unanimous vote to fund outstanding repairs

🤩 Last night, councillors unanimously voted to fund works that should see Stroud’s treasured Lido open this August.

🎉 The extra funding — coming from previous years’ underspend on the Lido — should also help put the outdoor pool on track for opening in 2027 and beyond.

😱 Back in March, councillors had voted to close the outdoor pool.

💪 But after a massive community response — a 4,000-signature petition, hundreds of emails to councillors, flash mobs 🦞, a shop window competition, and support from local voices including Mary Portas Edith Bowman Dale Vince and Tweedy 💙🏊💙

🎉 They thought again.

👷‍♂️ Instead, they listened — to the community and to engineering experts who showed there was a realistic plan to reopen the pool for a fraction of the originally proposed £5 million cost.

💙 Councillors asked some tough questions — rightly so — but they also recognised the enormous health, wellbeing and community value of getting the pool open again and protecting it for future generations.

💦☀️ We are absolutely delighted by last night’s decision and can’t wait to see families, swimmers and young people enjoying the Lido again this summer.

💦 And now the focus turns to getting the works completed and the gates reopened as quickly as possible.

Because this is more than a pool.

It’s part of Stroud’s identity. A place for fun, friendships, exercise, memories and safe outdoor swimming for generations to come.💙

03/06/2026

Tonight’s Extraordinary Council Meeting resulted in a unanimous vote to approve the maintenance plan for Stratford Park Outdoor Pool — and we are absolutely over the moon. !! 🌊💙🏊

After months of campaigning, community action and incredible public support, we’ve saved the lido.💙

This has never just been about a pool. It’s about health, wellbeing, water safety, community, memories and protecting a much-loved space for future generations.

We want to thank every single person who supported the campaign — everyone who signed petitions, attended meetings, contacted councillors, shared posts, spoke to the media and stood with us throughout this journey.💙

This result shows what can happen when a community comes together and refuses to give up.

Now let’s get those gates open and welcome swimmers back as soon as possible. ! 🏊☀️🏊

03/06/2026

🌊💙 It’s crunch time for our much-loved outdoor pool.

Tonight’s 7pm council meeting will decide whether the maintenance plan is approved and whether we can finally move closer to reopening the gates this summer.💙

We’ve been sharing stories and memories from people across our community about what this place means to them — from childhood swims and summer holidays to friendship, wellbeing and learning to swim safely outdoors.💙🏊💙

This is more than a pool.It’s health. Wellbeing. Community. Memories.

There’s still time to head down to Ebley Mill and show your support. Let’s hope tonight brings the positive result our community has fought so hard for. 💙

03/06/2026

POV: Half term, wasn’t the weather just glorious… and Stratford Park Outdoor Pool is still closed. ☀️💔

This should already be a safe place for families, young people and the community to swim outdoors.

Tonight councillors vote on whether the maintenance plan goes ahead and the pool can reopen this summer.

📍 Ebley Mill
🕖 7pm meeting
📺 Join us from 6pm

This is more than a pool.

🌊 Health
🌊 Wellbeing
🌊 Water safety
🌊 Community

Imagine this place full of life again.

Let’s reopen the gates ASAP. 🙌

31/05/2026

Wow — what a scorching half term it’s been! ☀️

Since 1937, Stroud’s outdoor pool/lido has provided generations with a safe, affordable place to swim, socialise and stay active outdoors.

Now, after months of campaigning, Stroud District Council has put forward plans to reopen the pool this year. 🙌

🙏 All we need now is for councillors to VOTE YES on 3rd June.💙🏊💙

📍 Ebley Mill📺 ITV cameras 6–6.20pm🕖 Meeting starts at 7pm

Please come along one last time and help show just how much this much-loved facility means to our community. 💙

💦We’re also urging the council to:

💦Keep the pool open through September
💦 Open mornings throughout August
💦Options to bring opening forward into July

Planning your week ahead? Do join us! 🌊

Enjoy your Super Sunday everyone ☀️💙

29/05/2026

Positive progress and a huge amount of hard work from the campaign team , community, councillors, officers and volunteers to get to this stage. 🌊

Now let’s hope the funding is approved on June 3rd so Stroud can once again have a safe, affordable place for outdoor swimming this summer. 💙🏊💙

▶NEWS: Latest Lido update published ahead of key decision meeting on reopening plan

Stroud District Council has published a third detailed update on progress to reopen Stratford Park Lido, ahead of an extraordinary meeting of its Strategy and Resources Committee next week.

The update, which is now available to view on the Council’s dedicated Lido webpages, sets out the latest position on repair works and the proposed timeline for reopening the 90-year-old facility.

Councillors will meet on Wednesday 3 June to consider the next steps for the project, including whether to approve additional funding to complete essential works.

Based on the latest contractor programme, all works are currently scheduled to be completed with the Lido reopening on 14 August 2026, with the potential for an earlier opening date of 29 July if works progress smoothly.

These dates are not guaranteed and remain subject to:

No additional works being identified beyond those already known.
Approval of additional funding by the Strategy and Resources Committee.
Preliminary works are already underway on site at risk, ahead of the committee decision, to minimise delays.

Council Leader, Cllr Chloe Turner, said: “We know how important the Lido is to our residents and how much people want to see it open again.

“This latest update provides a clear picture of the work required and the timeline we are working to. The extraordinary meeting gives councillors the opportunity to carefully consider the options and make a decision as quickly as possible.

“This approach ensures proper democratic oversight while giving the project the best possible chance of success.

“I am grateful to council officers, local councillors and volunteers from the community for doing everything they can to help achieve an opening for this summer.”

So far the committee has set aside £200,000 of revenue budget for repair and maintenance works. However further detailed work has enabled the development of a comprehensive and robust cost plan, which identifies that the total estimated cost of the works needed to enable the reopening of Stratford Park Lido is £476,000.

Next Wednesday (June 3) the committee will be asked to resolve to approve an extra allocation of £276,000 for works expected to support operation during the summer of 2026 and the 2027 season.

“This will put us and the community in a good place to explore the future ownership and operation of the pool,” added Cllr Turner.

The £476,000 of revenue budget is separate to a budget to borrow £900,000 for capital works – if agreed, these funds would be used for major improvements at the Lido.

Alongside the construction preparation, work is already underway to ensure the Lido can operate safely once open. A free National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) course has been organised at Active Lifestyles Dursley from 13 to 18 July.

The course is designed to:

Support the recruitment of lifeguards for the Lido reopening.
Provide additional casual cover across all three council pools.
This forms part of the Council’s broader efforts to ensure staffing is in place for opening and and ongoing operations.

The Council’s constitution does not allow for motions, public or councillor questions, but focuses on the reason for calling the extraordinary meeting. Members of the public will be welcome as usual to observe elected councillors discuss the agenda item, either in-person at the council’s Ebley Mill headquarters, or via an online video link.

The latest fortnightly update and meeting papers can be read in the comments below

28/05/2026

Stroud District Council has put forward its own plan to open Stroud's Lido / outdoor pool this year 💙🏊💙

The council's own report (published this week) recognises the health, wellbeing and social value of Stratford Park Lido and says everything campaigners have been saying for months. It says getting the pool open this year can be done, without spending unaffordable sums like £5m and that it's worth it for this year and next, and going forwards too.💙

The construction team is primed and ready to go. The council has already got the money it needs (from previous underspends).
All that's needed now, is for the councillors to vote for this proposal 3rd June - tv cameras there 6-6.20pm, some fun will be had, then meeting /pm).

To say that yes, the people of Stroud District are worth an additional £276,000 required to enable works to reopen the lido this summer and next and to help it stay open in the future.

The community has fought incredibly hard to get this far, and we are now *so close*.

The ITV cameras will be there (at Ebley Mill) on 3rd June and we're asking all our supporters to turn up - one last time - to show how much we cherish our precious outdoor pool and our access to safe, affordable outdoor swimming and relaxation this summer.💙

We want the council to vote for this plan. The extra budget requested - which they already have - is the equivalent of just a couple of quid from everyone in the district, for a treasured resource that's been neglected for years despite being is so precious and valuable to so many people's health and wellbeing.🏊💙🏊

We also see that the council's proposed works mean a reopening date for the Lido of mid-August, so we're also urging them to commit to
keep it open throughout September and open it in the mornings throughout August

Do Look at our expert proposal that could bring the opening forward three weeks, to July (simply by holding off non-essential fibre-glass coating work til after the season).

Do Let's keep Stroud swimming and splashing, safely! 💙

28/05/2026

We are deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of seven children and two adults in inland and coastal waters over the Bank Holiday weekend. 💔

At Save Our Lido Stroud, this is a heartbreaking reminder of why safe, supervised and affordable outdoor swimming facilities matter so much to communities.

With temperatures rising, more people will naturally seek places to cool off, exercise and spend time with friends and family. Everyone deserves access to safe, lifeguarded outdoor swimming spaces.

Our thoughts are with all the families, friends and communities affected by these devastating losses.

Please stay safe around water this summer and remember:
💧 Float if you fall in
💧 Never underestimate cold water shock
💧Swim where there’s a lifeguard
💧 Avoid unsafe inland waterways
💧 Look out for one another

We’re deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of seven children and two adults, in both inland and coastal waters, over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Our Chief Fire Officer, Gavin Ellis, spoke on BBC 5 Live this morning about the dangers of inland water, where accidental drowning deaths have now been higher than coastal incidents for the seventh year in a row.

Although rivers, lakes and reservoirs may look calm and inviting in the hot weather, hidden currents and cold water shock can quickly become life-threatening. Water temperatures are currently only around 14–16°C, which can cause an involuntary gasp response and lead to drowning.

Please avoid swimming in inland waterways and encourage others to do the same.

If you unexpectedly enter the water, remember to float:

• Tilt your head back with ears submerged
• Breathe normally
• Move your hands to stay afloat
• Spread your arms and legs for stability

Floating can save your life.

If you missed the interview, you can listen via the link in the comments below (scroll to 20mins 30secs) 💧 👇🏻