Campaigners crowd fund legal challenge to closure of open air swimming pool

Campaigners are seeking to crowdfund a legal challenge to Warwick District Council’s decision to remove an open air swimming pool.

Restore Kenilworth Lido has raised £2,178 through a crowdfunding page towards the £2,500 costs of solicitors' fees and a QC’s opinion on its case.

Warwick in January decided to close an outdoor swimming pool at Kenilworth Lido and replace it with extra space for the indoor pool.

The group said: “We believe that the decision-making process was fundamentally flawed”, and said it had been advised that the consultation involved had been unlawful.

It wants to retain the outdoor swimming pool, and said campaigners had unsuccessfully asked the council to pause its decision to look at the feasibility of such a move.

When the decision was taken in January, Warwick’s portfolio holder for culture Michael Coker said: “I know many people including myself feel nostalgic about this and agree that an outdoor swimming pool would be attractive, however, in reality this would have been at the expense of providing the additional pool space, which is needed by our local children, schools, clubs and those who need facilities to be designed to make them more accessible and is open all year round.”

Warwick did not respond to a request for comment on the crowdfunding campaign.