Past and present collide as council commits to resurrecting Valentines Lido

The move - confirmed yesterday, February 24 - represents a throwback for those who remember revelling in the outdoor pool which once graced Valentines Park.

Revellers enjoying the outdoor swimming facility which was once the gem of Gants Hill (Image: Redbridge Museum & Heritage Centre)

Redbridge Council has pledged to deliver the new facility as part of an £11million package aimed at improving the borough's leisure facilities.

This investment was one of a number included in budget proposals for 2022/23 which were approved by the local authority last night.

Valentines Lido, which opened in 1924, was something of a Gants Hill gem before it closed during the 1990s.

Work is already underway to design the Lido to complement the existing landscaping in Valentines Park (Image: Redbridge Museum & Heritage Centre)

The council has vowed to add to that legacy.

“Redbridge Council is committed to delivering a state of the art outdoor swimming Lido in the heart of Valentines Park to rival the splendour of the original 1924 Valentines Lido," a spokesperson said.

With full details to come, they added that design work is already underway to "complement the existing landscaping in the park".

Resurrecting the Valentines Lido is part of an £11m commitment made by the council to improve the borough's leisure centres (Image: Redbridge Museum & Heritage Centre)

This project is part of "wider plans to invest in leisure facilities across Redbridge"; other schemes include the installation of a 25-metre swimming pool in the new Wanstead Leisure Centre, the doubling of green space at Fairlop Waters and the restoration of Hainault Country Park.