Five months after a toddler was pulled unconscious from Ruislip Lido, the Council’s own Operational Plan shows that the site typically draws more than 20,000 visitors a day, more than the roughly 16,000 people who live in the Ruislip ward. The promised Water Safety Plan has not appeared, there has been no update on the strategic review the ward councillors promised in May, and there is no staff cover after 4pm.
On 26 May this year, a toddler was pulled unconscious from Ruislip Lido. Thankfully they survived, due in no small part to the lucky chance that there was an off-duty paramedic nearby.
Local residents have been raising safety concerns about the Lido for many years. It has been an accident waiting to happen for over a decade.
In response to the public outcry on social media, Cllr Philip Corthorne posted the following statement:
LIDO UPDATE: RISK ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGIC REVIEW
We’re grateful to everyone for the feedback we’ve received regarding the last few challenging days at the Lido.For us there are two principal issues. The first is for Hillingdon’s site risk assessment to be in place with the supporting risk control measures, as the public authority responsible for the Lido.
This is essential for public confidence in the way the Lido is being run, and of course we understand why the emergency incidents we’ve seen this week have caused some residents to question this.
Completing the risk assessment has taken too long, a point the three of us have made robustly to officers. We now have possession of a draft document and the final version will be published. We’re pressing hard for the date when this will happen.
The second issue is the need for the overdue strategic review of the future use of the Lido. Resigned acceptance of gridlock and chaotic scenes periodically, together with the blight visited upon residents and the associated costs isn’t acceptable or sustainable. We need to consider what measures are at our disposal to reduce the “pull factor” and the excessive vehicle movements from well outside Hillingdon at peak periods. All without detracting from the natural beauty and attractiveness of the site. We’ve been grateful for comments on this already and would expect resident input to be part of the process.
We’ve written to Hillingdon’s new leadership pressing for this and have already discussed it with them informally. We will update people when we’ve more to share.
We do understand why people are angry about this situation which isn’t new.
Ultimately none of us are decision makers but rest assured we’re pressing those who are for a fresh approach to this long running issue which perennially rears its head in good weather.
Philip Corthorne, John Riley, Peter Smallwood
Ruislip Ward Councillors
In August, the long-awaited new Lido Operational Plan was published. While it’s a start, a great start, a lot is missing and it doesn’t begin to suggest how the root problem – that of too many visitors for the local infrastructure to handle – can be addressed.
What is notable in the report is that for the first time ever we’ve been given the official visitor numbers. “Typically, the Lido sees >20,000 visitors per day over the Easter period and summer months through to mid-September.” To put this into context, the population of the Ruislip ward is around 16,000.
So according to the council’s own report, the number of people the Lido draws into the area exceeds the number of people who live in the ward.
If residents have wondered why the traffic, parking chaos and anti-social behaviour are so bad, we need wonder no more.
The report also touches on a major area of concern, which is what happens in the event of the area needing to be evacuated. The report does state that:
“The serious incident Management Plan shall also contain details of evacuation plans (full, partial or zoned), and any potential lockdown plans that may be required.”
What it does NOT do is explain how these plans would be enacted if the incident happened after the staff leave for the day. There is no staff cover after 4pm. Thousands are still at the Lido then, and the car parks are full.
The report does not mention anti-social behaviour
In the section titled Water Safety, it states:
“Signage is posted advising ‘No Swimming’ however persons are known to ignore the instruction and enter the water via the beach area. Therefore, the risk assessment and controls may benefit from an external review to manage these occurrences. A water safety plan will be devised for the Lido as a separate document and an external water safety consultant engaged to review and make any required amends.”
We await that Water Safety Plan.
But what of the Strategic Review promised by the councillors in May?
We are still waiting.
At the time of writing neither the RRA nor the Ruislip Lido Residents’ Group has received any update about what form this Review will take.
If any significant changes are to be made by early summer 2027, the council needs to start work now.
Meanwhile: we wait for the body of the next child to be fished out of the water.
No words… a child floating on an inflatable chair, at the Lido, at sunset.
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