Hilsea Lido to remain closed this summer due to high workload but plans in place to celebrate anniversary

The Hilsea Lido Pool for People Trust has confirmed it will not be opening, but work will continue at the site.

Trustee and chair Sabrina Richards, who has been associated with the lido since 2007, told The News: ‘There is a lot of extra things for us to engage with, and with the process of opening the pool, we ran out of time.

‘It takes a lot of effort, and you can’t just turn on the tap and it happens.

‘There was just not enough slack in the system to achieve it.

‘We now have a larger workload, with the same number of volunteers.’

Ms Richards added that the trustees will continue to work tirelessly to make the lido the best it can be.

A cash windfall of £3.5m was announced in October last year, as part of Rishi Sunak’s £20m ‘levelling up’ fund for Portsmouth.

The funding for the pool will be used to breath life into the 1935 venue, with significant upgrades.

This includes new changing facilities and integrated children's water play.

These changes will form the centrepiece of Portsmouth’s new £8.75m plan to create the UK’s longest urban park.

Ms Richards added that a lead consultant for the project has been found, and engagement sessions – including one scheduled on Friday – are ongoing.

She said the more of these sessions volunteers hold, the better the project will be.

This is ahead of 2023, and the 90th anniversary of the lido in 2025.

‘There is a huge amount of work we need to do to maximise this opportunity, and it has taken a while to get a lead consultant on board, but we’re pleased they are due to be appointed very shortly,’ Ms Richards said.

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‘As with all of these big projects, it takes time to fit everything together, as part of the bigger picture of the linear park.

‘We've missed this season but that does not mean we’re not working

‘It was a huge achievement to get that funding.

‘For us to have been successful was fantastic, a real achievement, and we’ve got a short period of time to make the best of this.’