THE CONTRACTOR hired to start repairing the leaky lido in London Fields on Monday 10 April  2017 will be named by Hackney council next week. The name cannot yet be given for contractual reasons.

But Hackney has assured Loving Dalston that members will be able to swim, at no extra cost, at any GLL/Better-operated swimming pool in England after the lido closes on Sunday 9 April 2017 at 9pm.

The council has provided this site with a list of Better pools easily accessible by bicycle and public transport to Hackneyites at no extra charge. See italic note below.

The council is taking the chance to make improvements and changes at the lido. But the popular all-gender showers, which one women has occasionally treated as a clothes-free area, will not be removed.

Community services councillor Jon Burke told this reporter: “We will be retaining the existing poolside communal showers and delivering the additional outdoor showers requested as part of the current refurbishment works.”

Asked whether compensation was being sought from the contractor that restored the lido just over a decade ago, the town hall said: “We need to establish what has caused the screed and render to fail before considering whether there is any blame to apportion. This will be easier to achieve once the pool tiles, screed and render have been removed.”

The council said that after suggestions by lido users, solar power was being considered for the lido but only as part of future works.

David Altheer 300317

* Easily accessible to Hackneyites by bicycle and public transport are Britannia pool and leisure centre N1 5JU; London Aquatics Centre at the Olympic Park E20 2ZQ; Clissold pool N16 9EX and King’s Hall E5 0NU. Outdoors lovers might consider a visit to the 50m Charlton Lido in south London. The new fitness facilities at Queensbridge Sports and Community Centre will also be available to Better members at no extra cost while the lido is being repaired. 

* Backstory: Lido to ‘reopen summer 2017’; Late reprieve for lido; Hiring a contractor is not going swimmingly; Lido’s off-the-wall horror; Hackney pulls plug on Haggy Baths hopes; London Fields Lido lights up; Wetsuits in Hackney lido; Hipster heaven costs Hackney £140,000

* Hackney’s lido webpage. 

* All pictures on this page © David.Altheer [at] gmail.com,  for sale for reproduction (see last paragraph of Contact), apart from supplied publicity pic of Jon Burke.