Petition calls for lido in Ravenscourt Park

An AI generated visualisation of the proposed lido

A petition calling on Hammersmith & Fulham council to build a heated outdoor lido in Ravenscourt Park has picked up pace since it launched last month

It follows news that the park’s children’s paddling pool is being redeveloped as part of the council’s wider Play Transformation Programme.

The petition organiser argues the council should go further and add a heated lido for all ages, rather than upgrading the paddling pool for young children alone.

The case rests on climate. UK summers are bringing more frequent heatwaves, and the petition argues boroughs need cooling spaces that work for everyone, not just under-8s.

It points to the more than 160 lidos already operating across the UK, and says a lido would give the park a year-round exercise and social hub for families, older residents and young people alike.

Support has built quickly, and at the time of writing the petition has close to 1,000 signatures.

Ravenscourt Park paddling pool

Hammersmith and Fulham currently has no lido of its own. The nearest options are Pools on the Park in Richmond, Hillingdon Lido, or the Serpentine in Hyde Park. A separate campaign, West London Lido, has been pushing since 2021 for an open air pool somewhere in the west of the capital, with Wormwood Scrubs among several sites suggested, though nothing has come of it so far.

Campaigners say Ravenscourt Park has strenghts: existing water infrastructure, good transport links and a history of hosting large community events. They want the lido to sit alongside the paddling pool, not replace it: a shallow area for children, a heated pool for everyone else, and space for lane swimming, aqua-fitness and events. London Fields Lido in Hackney is cited as the kind of year round destination they have in mind.

The council has not commented publicly on the proposal. Campaigners hope enough support will prompt a feasibility study.

The petition is open until 3 September and can be signed here: Petition