Brockwell Lido will be closed from March – May for refurbishment.
Fusion, the gym operator that runs the outdoor swimming pool, is carrying out work to repair the floor and paint the tank. It will close on March 2 and open in “early May”.
During the repairs all other facilities including the gym and spa will remain open, and members can use any other Fusion pool free of charge. Group exercises classes will also run as normal.
As the News has reported, the upgrade will no longer include fitting a plastic lining after an outcry from swimmers keen to protect the Art Deco building.
Sadly this is not an “upgrade” but just maintenance that should have been done five years ago. The consultation process is also questionable, with only a vocal “no-to-plastic’ minority wanting the cheaper paint option, rather than the longer lasting, easier to clean, less chemicals, modern lining option used in most other outdoor pools nowadays. No complete poll of swimmers was ever taken. Ironically the paint option contains plastic, as admitted by Fusion.
The under water lighting promised at these consultations has now been conveniently forgotten and the possibility of a bigger sauna (badly needed) has also been ruled out. Swimmers are highly skeptical that the work will be completed by ‘mid-may’ and wondering where all the original budget has gone?