The biggest open air freshwater swimming pool in the UK has reopened this month after £3.8m renovation
ONE of the UK’s best-loved outdoor pools has reopened to the public earlier this month after being closed for more than a year.
With winter on its way out and the warmer months just around the corner, outdoor swimming will once again be on the cards for plenty of Brits.
And one place they can do that once again is Tooting Bec lido in London, which has been reopened this month after £3.8million worth of investment.
The pool was originally due to be closed for nine months for important refurbishment works to be carried out on its pumps, filters, pipes and liner.
However, that was delayed after asbestos was found at the lido, causing work to fall behind.
After a soft members-only relaunch during the winter, the pool was finally opened to the general public once again at the start of this month.
Wandsworth’s Cabinet Member for Environment Judi Gasser claims that the upgrades should be good enough to keep the pool going for another half a century before it needs any further work.
She said: “With warmer weather on the way we expect the lido to be as popular and busy as ever and are delighted to be fully reopening it to the public following its multi-million-pound refurbishment.
“The improvements we have carried out are designed to keep the lido open and in good shape for the next 50 years.
“As its custodians we are proud of the work we have done to preserve and protect the lido for many decades to come.”
However, further upgrades are being planned for the facility, with a new cafe, a new entrance and a sauna all part of big plans for the site.
In September last year, approval was granted for further developments, which also include new shower and changing facilities, new toilets, a new reception, security accommodation and bike parking.
Swimming sessions can be pre-booked, but require a Places Leisure membership – which can be obtained free of charge via the website.
However, visitors can also turn up and pay on the door, provided the lido isn’t at its 1,300 person capacity.
The 90-metre pool has been open since 1906 and is still the biggest freshwater pool in the country.
After it reopened its doors, regular swimmers expressed their happiness via social media.
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- Chessington World of Adventures waterpark is set to have wave, infinity and spa pools as well as waterslides and cabanas.
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One wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Wonderful! Really missed my winter swim at Tooting Lido.”
Another said: “So unbelievably happy to be back. How unbelievably lucky we are.”
It’s not the only lido to reopen in the UK this year either, with outdoor swimming fans in Cornwall also able to use one of their much-loved pools back in time for summer.
Jubilee Pool in Penzance, Cornwall, had to shut during the winter after an issue with its underground thermal systems.
The geothermal lido warms the seawater up to a balmy 35C, using an underground heating system, but required work after bosses admitted it wasn’t working as well as they’d have liked it to.
It’s now scheduled to reopen in May, according to its Facebook page, with a post from earlier this month reading: “It’s time to scrub the geothermal pool.
“We will be filling it up on the spring tides and turning it back on next week.”
Tickets for May and June are already on sale for anyone looking to take a dip in its warm waters this summer.
Elsewhere, Broomhill open air swimming pool in Ipswich also has plans to reopen, after being closed for 22 years.
Funding has been secured for a £10m redevelopment of the pool.
Meanwhile, this lido opened right on a UK beach last year.
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