The future of Cheltenham's lido has been secured with a new 35-year lease.

Sandford Parks Lido, which has been open since 1935, is owned by Cheltenham Borough Council but run by a charitable trust.

The council recognise the significant efforts that the Sandford Parks Lido Trust have made to ensure the venue is one of the jewels in Cheltenham's crown. The extended lease enables the Lido to continue to plan for the future and make it easier to secure external funding.

Cabinet member for culture, wellbeing and business Councillor Victoria Atherstone said: ''The Lido is a wonderful recreational asset in our town, enjoyed by so many, of all ages, all year round. We're delighted the new 35-year lease has been agreed, this places the trust in a strong position to plan for the future.

''The council values the heritage of our town and know that Cheltenham people do too, which is why we work hard with partners like the Trust to preserve our local heritage assets like the Lido. We recognise the superb work of the Sandford Parks Lido Trust, and thank the Trustees, CEO and team for their efforts to ensure the Lido bounces back from the impact of the pandemic.''

Julie Sargent, Sandford Parks Lido chief executive officer said: "We are delighted that Cheltenham Borough Council have provided us with a lease agreement which will help protect the lido and most importantly allow us to attract some much-needed funding so we can continue to improve the lido for our community and visitors to Gloucestershire.

"Whilst we can't fully celebrate at the moment, it's important that we share this amazing news with our community and thank everyone for their continued support as we know many of our customers have been extremely worried that their lido could be lost. I'd also like to thank Cheltenham Borough Council for providing a lease which will enable the lido to continue to thrive once we're all through the current pandemic."