A public outdoor pool built in the 1930s is set to close for the year as Hackney council plan to replace it and improve its facilities in a £700,000 redevelopment project.
According to Hackney council’s website, the popular paddling pool at Clissold Park in Stoke Newington, Hackney can no longer be used without major works being carried out on it. This includes the introduction of automatic filtration systems which will reduce water consumption and improve hygiene.
Alongside the Clissold Park redevelopment, the pool at London Fields, which was built in 1978 will also be part of the project. It will be closed for 2020 and possibly further amid plans to incorporate it into the London Fields Lido site nearby as a learner pool for younger children.
Councilor Jon Burke, Cabinet Member for Energy, Waste, Transport and Public Realm said on Hackney Council’s website: “The paddling pools at Clissold Park and London Fields have come to the end of their life, and we want to invest in modern, sustainable facilities that can be enjoyed by residents long into the future. I am particularly excited about the work to deliver the new learner pool at London Fields Lido.”
Burke said that the incorporation of the London Fields pool into the Lido site will improve provision for local children, create capacity for new classes to be introduced at the Lido as well as increase accessibility for people with disabilities to go swimming.
The council plan to consult with regular users of the pool at Clissold Park to find out what upgrades they think the site needs before beginning the redevelopment process.
The works are part of the Hackney council’s investment programme into green spaces and parks. As well as the investment in the pools, they are also planning upcoming works on other green spaces in the borough including a £5 million restoration project at Abney Park cemetery and a £2 million upgrade of Shoreditch Park.
Hackney council said they are continuing to invest in Hackney’s green spaces despite 40% funding cuts since 2010 because of the “immeasurable benefits to health and wellbeing that high-quality green spaces can bring”.
