Paralympic star Ellie Simmonds hails Tooting Bec Lido’s official reopening

By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

London’s oldest lido has officially reopened to the public after a “sparkling” £4million makeover, with 250 free tickets to be given every day to residents who might otherwise not be able to afford to go.

Five-time Paralympic gold medallist Ellie Simmonds attended the reopening of Tooting Bec Lido on Wednesday, while Mayor of London Sadiq Khan unveiled a plaque to celebrate the iconic local landmark.

The event saw the Labour-run council extend its ‘access for all’ scheme, which provides free gym and swimming sessions to eligible residents across the borough, to include the 91 metre-long lido.

This means 250 free tickets to the facility will be available to residents on means-tested benefits every day of the summer as part of the council’s commitment to help people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

The move was welcomed by Ms Simmonds, 29, who was given an OBE in 2013 for services to Paralympic sport and has continued to be an ambassador for swimming since retiring from the pool.

Ms Simmonds said: “We’re definitely in a society at the moment where we’re in an economic crisis and to have that extra support from the council and access to this incredible facility just makes such a big difference.”

She added: “Swimming isn’t just a great sport it’s also a life skill as well, for all ages. You can see behind us some children here having fun and I think that’s what you want swimming to be – having fun, people can relax here.”

The council originally launched the ‘access for all’ scheme  last year with contractor Places Leisure, to offer free gym and swimming sessions at several venues across the borough to low-income families at off-peak hours and weekends – including residents claiming Universal Credit, children receiving free school meals and asylum seekers.

It extended access to the scheme in January to people claiming a much wider range of benefits, such as Jobseeker’s Allowance, housing benefit, disability living allowance and Carer’s Allowance.

The lido is the biggest open-air freshwater pool in the UK and has attracted generations of Londoners since opening in 1906.

Council leader Simon Hogg said many families who visited the lido for free at its official reopening, which more than 1,000 residents booked to attend, had never been before.

The lido shut in November 2022 and was set to remain closed for around nine months for the revamp. But the council later revealed it would reopen later than planned due to unavoidable delays caused by issues encountered during the repairs – including the discovery of unknown buried asbestos following demolition works.

The lido reopened to members of South London Swimming Club (SLSC) on December 18, in line with normal practice, as it usually only opens to the club during winter and is typically available to the public from April to September. The facility then opened to the public on April 1, ahead of its official reopening.

The revamp aims to protect the future of the lido by allowing it to function efficiently for the next 50 years. The existing systems at the lido, the council previously said, had reached the end of their life and a budget of £3.93million was agreed in November 2022 to fund the major works.

The pumphouse, which controls the pool’s water supply, has been replaced, and a new electrical substation to power the pumps has been built. A new pipework and UV filtration system and pool liner has also been installed at the lido, while landscaping around the water’s edge has been improved.

Resident Sue Pearson said the old pipes at the lido were ‘completely worn out’ and described its revamp as “so exciting”.

She said: “I’m local and I will be looking forward to coming here again. I do know so many people have missed being able to come here.”

Sue Rentoul, 64, who has been a member of SLSC since 2006, described the revamp as “beautiful” and the water as “sparkling.”

Pictured top: Ellie Simmonds came along for the grand reopening (Picture: Charlotte Lillywhite)