Outdoor pool could be sold to 'save council £74k'

An outdoor pool is set to be sold in a bid to save tens of thousands of pounds.

Teignbridge Council has said it would save £74,000 in 2026 alone by not opening Teignmouth lido, according to part of the council's Modern 25 Programme report.

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

Members of the council's executive committee will hold a closed meeting on Tuesday. They will vote on a proposal to dispose of the lido on the open market, without restrictions on its future use.

Teignmouth lido is a seasonal site which opens for the May half-term, with partial opening hours in June and July and full time for the school summer holiday.

The council spent £800,000 refurbishing the pool four years ago, then another £30,000 on more repairs, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The pool was listed as an official Asset of Community Value in 2025, meaning the local community has the opportunity to draw up a bid to buy it if the council decides to get rid of it.

The report outlines a number of options for the council to consider, including selling the site, leasing it to a third-party to operate as a lido or transferring the freehold to a community group.

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