Hilsea Lido to stay closed during two-year renovation

Hilsea Lido has been closed since last year due to ongoing technical problems

A popular open-air swimming pool will stay closed for another two years while renovation work takes place.

Hilsea Lido in Portsmouth had to close last year due to its aging infrastructure.

It received funding as part of £20m government Levelling Up package for the city announced in 2021.

A statement said work on renovating the pool had begun and it hoped it would reopen in 2025 to mark its 90th anniversary.

Hilsea Lido Pool for the People, which took over the then-derelict lido in 2014, said it would be "restored to its former glory".

It add that the "wishes of the Hilsea Lido community would be reflected in the restoration project".

The group closed the pool ahead of last year's summer season, with work still needed on its "very old infrastructure".

Hilsea Lido, which dates from the 1930s, shut in 2007 and was reopened by the charity formed by residents.

The government confirmed £8.75m of its Levelling Up package would go towards creating Linear Park, which will incorporate the revamped Hilsea Lido.

The lido was a popular attraction when it first opened in 1935