Residents petition council to reopen London Fields paddling pool
Clissold Park paddling pool, 1958. Photograph: Hackney Council
More than 650 people have now signed an e-petition calling for the reopening of a London Fields paddling pool described as a safe, free place “to play and cool down”.
The council has said there are no plans to reopen the paddling pool, which was closed in 2020 over safety concerns.
The petition states: “Families need safe, free places to play and cool down. Families want easy access, app-free, inclusive spaces.
“This is a matter of social justice in a rapidly gentrifying area. A pool would support children’s physical and mental health and align with Hackney and London’s wider commitment to a “green and blue” city.
In 2020, Hackney Council said the paddling pools at London Fields and Clissold Park were closed, having “come to the end of their life in their existing form” and that they could not run without the introduction of automatic filtration systems, according to an external health and safety assessment.
The refurbishments were expected to cost around £700k and formed a significant part of Hackney Council’s programme of investment into its parks and green spaces.
Today, London Fields paddling pool remains closed, while Clissold Park paddling pool was reopened in May 2023.
A Hackney Council spokesperson said: “Our major upgrade of the historic Kings Hall Leisure Centre has meant we are unable to progress proposals for a new teaching pool at London Fields, on the old paddling pool site, at this present time.
“Instead, we are investing £900,000 to upgrade the play facilities in London Fields, as one of 16 playgrounds to receive an upgrade, since 2020.”
Once refurbishment of the London Fields Park Depot has been concluded, the council has said it will consider how the old paddling pool site will be used in the future. The site is currently used for storage.
Swimmers in the River Lea. Photo: Tom Hunter @tomhunterphotography
Artist, photographer and Hackney local Tom Hunter, known for his evocative reworking of classical paintings, has been vocal about the issue.
He said: “My kids both went to Gayhurst Primary School, which is next to the Lido, and I live just around the corner, and it was just the best amenity in Hackney for our kids.
“In that Lido, that paddling pool, there were kids from everywhere, all the estate kids were there. It didn’t matter about class, it didn’t matter about colour, it didn’t matter about religion. It was one of the truly integrated places in Hackney, and it was just such a wonderful place.”
“A lot of people haven’t got gardens. A lot of kids haven’t got any outdoor space, and the pool was such a huge benefit for the mental health of the kids in our borough to enjoy.”
Research conducted by London Sport highlighted that 12 of the 15 local authority areas in England with the lowest number of publicly available sports facilities are in London.
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A 2018 study showed that providing free facilities for children in disadvantaged areas is likely to increase swimming participation and may help reduce inequalities in physical activity. As well as improving fitness, swimming and exercise are known to significantly improve mental well‑being.
“I do feel really, really upset that the kids behind my kids haven’t had that opportunity just to play in water,” Hunter said. “It’s such a wonderful setting that really needs to be opened again.”
The children’s paddling pool at London Fields was built in 1978 to make London Fields Lido more suitable for a range of users, particularly families with younger children.
The petition needs 750 signatories to be debated at a full council meeting and ends on 23 May. You can find the petition here.