 The lido has reached another milestone with the installation of the filtration tanks. They were craned into the plant room last week, and have been put in place, with the relevant pipework installed in the bottom of them. This week the steel joists were installed on the top of the plant room, ready for the roof going on next week.
Now these tanks are in, there's no more need for the crane. This means the team can start pulling up the crane mat and haul road, that had been put in place to stop the heavy machinery from sinking.
 The team are preparing the pool now ready for the next stage. The concreting is complete, but there are some areas where the concrete is much smoother than we want it. So the team are using a pneumatic tool known as a 'scabbler' which will take off the smooth layer of concrete and rough it up, so when they come to rendering, the material is able to stick to it properly.
On this photo you can see the wall to the left of the image is much rougher than the smooth area next to it.
 We've mentioned before about the enormous scaffold tent which is going to cover the full length of the pool. This will start to be erected next week.
If you've ever been to the lido site you may know just how windy it gets! So the team have to put measures in place to make sure the tent is absolutely solid. Here you can see lots of water tanks stacked up and ready to go. In order to secure the tent there will be 56 water tanks along each side of the lido, and 24 at either end, totalling 160 tanks! When filled with water these tanks weigh a tonne each.
The purpose of the tent is to keep the air temperature above 5C° and protect the pool from the weather. There will be heaters ready to kick in if the air temperature was to drop that low.
 Behold our sample panel! This on-site panel offers a preview of the pool's edge structure.
We've shown you this before, but now it's now rendered, painted, and tiled. Complete with a convenient finger rest around the top, and a footrest in the deeper area of the pool. The grates are fitted around the edge, which will be ground level. This gives you and idea of what the pool will look like.
In the spirit of fun, our enthusiastic colleague in the photo demonstrates the footrest - a true sport!
 When we talk to people about the Hilsea Lido project, one thing we've often picked up on is how different people pronounce the word 'lido'.
Generally people that are local to Portsmouth pronounce it 'lie-doh', where as others say 'lee-doh'.
So we want to know how you pronounce it! Let us know on the super quick survey we've put together, and we'll share the results in our next issue.
 We recently spoke to the Southsea Sub-Aqua Club, diving enthusiasts since 1954! Before the lido project, they used the pool for training and equipment testing. They're eagerly awaiting its reopening.
"A safe and controlled space for us to train our new recruits is invaluable. The lido has always been integral to our operations. We've visited the lido a few times throughout the project, and it's exciting to see the progress with each visit."
Join their vibrant community for safe, supportive SCUBA adventures. From preserving historic wrecks to youth outreach, they champion marine conservation and diving excellence. Enjoy training, equipment access, and global dive opportunities.
Meet them at Tudor Sailing Club every Thursday evening for training, socialising, and planning future dives.
Membership details:
- BSAC Full Membership: £81 per year (£49 for full-time students)
- Southsea SAC Full Membership: £50 joining fee + £12.50/month (£7.50 for full-time students)
 The Council's fabulous green and clean team have been down at the Hilsea Jubilee Splash Park this week, giving it some TLC after a long winter!
They'll be sprucing the place up, testing the water, and checking all the plant equipment with a view to opening late May or early June.
In the future, the tenant who will come and operate the lido site will also run the splashpark for us, as a free facility. But for this year, PCC will operate it as usual.
 The temporary pedestrian diversion over Portsbridge roundabout car park will be open from today (Friday 4 April)
The North Portsea Coastal Scheme team are opening this shorter informal diversion route as a priority following emergency gas repair work by SGN in the area.
You will still see some more activity to tidy up and completely reinstate the area (including minor work on kerbs and replanting trees) over the next few weeks.
The map shows the diversion routes that will now be in place from Friday, 4 April 2025 until the work is complete in December 2025.
Cyclists are asked to dismount and push their bikes when using the temporary overpass. We appreciate your continued support as this vital sea defence work is being carried out.
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