Teignmouth lido to be sold off

Users say it should be kept for the community

A South Devon lido described by users as ‘a lovely pool in a lovely location’ is to be sold off.

Cash-strapped Teignbridge Council says it can save £74,000 this year alone by not opening Teignmouth Lido.

Now it is poised to declare the pool off Eastcliff Walk surplus to requirements. Members of the council’s executive committee will be recommended to sell it off when they meet next week.

They will vote on a proposal to dispose of it on the open market, without setting any restrictions on its future use.

The lido has been flagged up as part of the council’s ‘Modern 25’ money-saving strategy.

It usually opens for the May half-term, then for limited hours through June and July before full-time opening during the school summer holidays. A report to the executive says recruitment and staffing costs are significant, while the cost of utilities and chemicals have increased.

The number of swimmers using the pool rose from 8,224 in 2024 to 9,267 in 2025, but the report says numbers would need to double to meet the £74,000 shortfall. The pool uses the same amount of electricity as 24 homes.

The council spent £800,000 to refurbish the pool four years ago, then another £30,000 on more repairs.

The pool was listed as an official Asset of Community Value last year, meaning that the local community has the opportunity to draw up a bid to buy it if and when the council decides to get rid of it.

There is already a ‘Save the Lido’ group on Facebook, which says: “The lido and its grounds should be used and owned by the people of Teignmouth.”

Users have left glowing reviews of the pool online. One wrote: “A great lido. I haven’t had this much fun for a long time. The staff were wonderful, the water was perfect, the day was perfect.”

Another said: “This is a lovely pool in a lovely location.”

The report outlines a number of options for the council to consider.

It could close and mothball the pool, but it would still need to be managed and kept secure. The report goes on: “Simply allowing the property to sit vacant with no determined plan would likely reflect poorly on the council.”

It could lease the site to a third party to operate as a lido, but potential operators would question its financial viability.

The council could sell the site for an alternative use or sell it on the open market with no restrictions.

Or it could transfer the freehold to a community group, although the report raises doubts that enough money could be raised by the community to buy it. The community would have up to six months to come up with a realistic offer.

However, the council can still sell the lido to whoever it chooses, for whatever price it chooses. The law says: “There is no requirement that a property owner must co-operate with a community bid.”