London Fields Lido is now open. The new extended opening times are available from the Hackney council website.

Read an account of the opening day’s swim on 22nd October 2006 by Andy Hoines, co-editor of the www.lidos.org.uk website here, and his update here.

• contact: Mike Martin at info@londonfieldsusergroup.org.uk
• web site: www.londonfieldsusergroup.org.uk
• click here for details of proposals for the lido from 2003 – by Environment Trust 
• click here for the proposals from the London Borough of Hackney

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London Fields User Group

Chair: Mike Martin e-mail: londonfieldchair@onetel.com

“While we are all regret hearing of the delay, in comparison with the 18 years that it has been closed and the long struggle of the park user group, the extra couple of months is no big deal. We hope that the council will be able to meet these promises”.

Mike Martin – July 2006

I enclose the latest report from the council found on their web site: <http://www.hackney.gov.uk/index.htm/events-2/c-londonfields-lido.htm&gt;

London Fields Lido Re-opening

London Fields Lido – Hackney’s Urban Beach

Building work started in October 2005 on an ambitious project to resurrect the London Fields Lido for Hackney and we are pleased to report that it will be completed within its projected budget and opening soon.

Due to the discovery of large quantities of asbestos on the site and the very poor state of some of the old buildings that we have refurbished, there will be a delay to the projected late-July opening date. The London Fields Lido will however be open for swimming from the beginning of October when we will look forward to welcoming residents to the Capitals only heated outdoor Olympic-sized pool.

The original programme was always a tight schedule and while the builders have overcome the issues on site and are working additional shifts to complete the work, our top priority has always been to do justice to this wonderful facility by getting it open and keeping it open; getting things right first time.

Taking full advantage of the heated pool and changing facilities, we will keep the Lido open as long throughout the autumn and winter months as there is user demand. The Lido will then be ready to receive what we anticipate will be huge numbers of summer swimmers to Hackney’s Urban Beach.

Ultimately, there will also be a seasonal roof that will increase access to more swimmers during the winter. In October we plan to unveil the short-listed proposals for the roof solution and we will be ready to install the chosen design in autumn 2007.

In October we will offer a special winter price discount, but we anticipate the attraction of al fresco swimming in warm water in the heart of London will keep the Lido a popular destination.