Hackney Council announced today that it plans to re-open London Fields Lido in time for summer 2006.  They say they have set aside £2 million to fund the project as well as running costs of £200,000 a year. The council have already carried out a feasibility study and now intend to run public consultation and tendering process over the winter before commissioning the work to rebuild the lido as an outdoor facility.

The London Fields User Group have been working with the Environment Trust and Market Sports for 4 years on an alternative plan that would have been self-funding. Mike Martin, chair of the group said today “The Environment Trust went to a lot of expense producing an excellent plan which has now been thrown away. However we have been fighting for the lido to open for 15 years and are delighted if this is now going to happen”.

London Fields Lido closed in 1988 and local people stopped the buildings being demolished soon after – and have campaigned for its re-opening ever since. The site has been occupied for many years by squatters who at one time held music festivals and ran a cafe at the lido.

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