lido

WORK is set to restart on a disused lido in Cumbria – two years after it was originally set to reopen.

The Grade-II listed lido in Grange-over-Sands has been closed since 1993, but could welcome back locals as soon as this summer.

The pool on the promenade in Grange-over-Sands first opened in 1932 and is the only surviving seaside lido in the north of England.

In 1993 the lido closed because of low usage and rising repair costs.

Work then began in 2023 with £6.8million worth of funding to restore the site with an initial opening timeframe of just 14 months.

The opening date was delayed but work continued – during this time there was an upgrade to the pavilion building and an accessible entrance from the promenade was created.

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The changing rooms have been upgraded, and work to the roof and terraces has been completed, so have security upgrades, cleaning, and decoration.

A new play area on-site has already been built and work to the diving board has been completed.

However, work was paused in May 2025 after problems with concrete at the site were discovered.

Now, it’s set to restart in April 2026, with Westmorland and Furness Council saying it hopes the site will be open at the end of this summer.

In its initial opening, it won’t be used as a lido.

There is a temporary infill of the pool and the site will be used as a public space before phase two of the restoration begins.

On the Save Grange Lido website, it explains: “There’s to be a 25m 6 lane pool with a depth of 1.35m which can be used for County Level competition and training, a smaller, shallower 13m pool (0.9m deep) and a paddling pool or splash pad.”

Locals have been vocal in wanting the outdoor lido to reopen for swimming.

In 2011, the lido was granted Grade-II listed status and in the same year, the Save Grange Lido group was formed.

18,000 people signed a petition calling on the council to include the reopening of the pool in any plans to restore the lido site.

Here’s another English seaside town’s beachfront lido that is set to reopen this summer despite fears of closure.

And this popular English seaside town reveals plans for huge £4.5million makeover.

A LIDO that was set to close for good has backtracked and confirmed that it will reopen for the 2026 summer season.

The outdoor pool in Teignmouth was marked for closure earlier this year, but the decision has since been overturned.

In February of this year, Teignbridge Council announced plans to close its beachfront lido in order to save money.

Officials said that not reopening Teignmouth Lido could save £74,000 in 2026.

Now, the decision has been reversed by the executive committee of Teignbridge Council.

The council announced the news on social media and said: “Our Executive Committee has today (Tuesday 10 March) voted to open Teignmouth Lido this summer.

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The best UK family days out from £10 to completely FREE in the Easter holidays

FUN FREEBIES

Huge list of 100 free family days out this spring – from concerts to festivals

“Teignbridge District Council will operate the pool this summer and will work with community groups interested in taking on the Lido to ensure a safe handover.

“Councillors acknowledged the difficulties of balancing the books but agreed that opening the Lido would deliver value over price and enable the community to keep using the pool while Teignbridge works with groups to secure the asset’s long-term future.”

Since the news of the lido’s potential closure broke last month, the local community has been campaigning to reopen the lido.

Over 2,500 people having signed a petition to stop the lido’s closure, according to the Teignmouth Community Lido Trust.

After the executive committee meeting campaigner Catherine Brown said: “This is a brilliant outcome.

“It’s unbelievable that the council has gone from a unanimous decision to close it to a unanimous decision to keep it open!”

The 25-metre outdoor pool first opened in the 1970s and opens seasonally, usually having its debut in May half-term.

It has partial opening hours in June and July and then opens full time during the summer holidays.

The pool is heated and holds various swim sessions, from public to fun sessions, as well as activities like aqua fit and aqua circuits.

Four years ago, the pool underwent a refurbishment of £800,000 and then a further £30,000 was spent on repairs, according to Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Teignmouth Community Lido Trust has expressed its hope to take over the lido site and keep it open for years to come.

Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding who grew up in the area is also a fan of the lido. She said: “Teignmouth Lido is more than just a gem on the South West coast; for me, it’s the backdrop of my childhood.

“For over a decade, my school summer holidays were defined by afternoons spent there with my family – so to hear that the lido could close is heartbreaking.

“With ample patio and sun-drenched patches of grass surrounding the 25-metre crystal clear pool, it was the rare kind of place where parents could relax while kids felt a bit of freedom.”

For more on swimming, here are all the lidos in the UK mapped – with water slides, cocktail bars and some are even FREE to enter.

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