Published on 27th March 2026
The first lease between Cheltenham Borough Council and the charity began back in 1996, this original lease was for 25 years running until 2021.
A second lease was then permitted in 2021 which would run until 2056. Recognising the need to ensure future protection of this valuable community asset a Reversionary Lease has been agreed. The Reversionary Lease will automatically start in 2056 and run until 2120 providing our lido in Cheltenham with the protection it deserves.
Cllr Izaac Tailford, Cheltenham Borough Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture, Wellbeing and Public Realm, said: “I’m really proud that we could make this happen. The Lido is a fantastic facility loved by so many residents and visitors alike, and the team there do such a wonderful job at running, maintaining and improving this Cheltenham icon.
“In the wake of upcoming Local Government Reorganisation, I’m delighted that as a council we could secure this lease as a legacy for our town – protecting the Cheltenham Lido for almost 100 years.”
Julie Sargent, Chief Executive of Cheltenham Lido, commented: “Having the lease extended to 2120 is vital to the future of Cheltenham Lido. It plays a huge role in the lives of so many in Cheltenham and the South of England and this secures the future of our amazing facility for all the communities who visit.
“We are incredibly grateful to Rowena Hay and Simon Hodges at the Council for their support and forward thinking. We celebrated our 90th year in 2025 with developments including our car park and solar panel installations and this lease extension ensures we can protect and develop Cheltenham Lido for the next 90 years and beyond.”
Cheltenham Lido will open the gates for its heated season on Saturday 28th March at 11am. The price to enter will be just 2p which was the original entrance price on its first day back in 1935.
