Trustees 'committed' to reopening UK's oldest lido

Cleveland Pools is closed for a second summer season

The trustees of a restored lido that was closed due to flood damage say they "remain committed" to reopening the facility as soon as possible.

Cleveland Pools in Bath reopened for the first time in 40 years in September 2023, but it closed again in January 2024.

The BBC has discovered through a Freedom of Information request that the trustees asked Bath and North East Somerset Council to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) over the future of the site.

The lido has been given grants of more than £1.1m by the council towards the overall restoration.

The Cleveland Pools Trust spent 20 years raising £9.3m to restore the Georgian lido.

It reopened after several setbacks and millions of pounds of public money being spent, but closed again four months later, after flooding caused "extensive" damage. No reopening date has yet been set.

Investigations are continuing to find any damage to Cleveland Pools, the trust says

The BBC has been told the council has been asking for updates from the trust for months.

But in a statement, the trustees said: "The trust has made it clear that the ongoing investigations are complex and require expert and specialist input.

"We have previously reported about the extensive flood damage to the plant and machinery required to operate the pools.

"The current stage of investigation concerns the apparent uplift of the main pool structure and the extent of any damage to the pool structure and its connecting pipework.

"We are unable to provide any further substantive update until these further investigations are complete, which we hope will be over the next few months."

The statement added that the trustees had won awards for their fundraising efforts, and are all volunteers.

The trust declined to comment on the NDA.

Council leader Kevin Guy said he welcomed the update on the closure.

"I recognise the hard work of the trust and the dedication of the volunteers and look forward to seeing a resolution as soon as possible," he added.