Plans to build European-style lido on the River Thames - with Londoners to swim in filtered river water

Plans for a giant European-style lido to be built on the River Thames are progressing, with designers looking for a site.

The pools will give Londoners and tourists a chance to swim in filtered and warmed river water and sunbathe next to the pool.

The design would be similar to the lidos in European cities such as Berlin and Helsinki, which use river or seawater.

A computer-generated image of plans shows a number of pools on the edge of the Thames.

The project - called Thames Baths - is currently trying to find a suitable location, and is eyeing up sites including City Hall, the South Bank and Temple Stairs.

Chris Romer-Lee, co-founder of the project and director of Studio Octopi which designed the lido plans, thinks that a floating pool would unlock the waterways for so many Londoners and tourists.

“The central London section of the Thames is seven times the size of Hyde Park and yet access to this asset is heavily restricted,” he told LondonWorld.

“Bylaws are in place to stop swimming between Putney and Crossness, whilst the embankments and bridges have narrowed the river so that its tides are strong and undercurrents dangerous.”

“As opposed to seeing the city from bridges and behind the flood defences, the warm and filtered body of water would allow a new perspective and appreciation of the lifeblood of the city, the River Thames.”

“Both blue and green spaces in London are precious and there is now convincing evidence that blue and green spaces are good for our health and wellbeing.”

Thames Baths recently ran a Kickstarter campaign, assessing different sites of interest where potential lidos could be located.

The crowdfunding campaign raised £142,000 over a month, and attracted over 1,200 backers.

The campaign has worked on nearly 10 locations along the river, and local authorities east of Tower Bridge and past Putney Bridge have expressed interest in the project, Romer-Lee explained.

“We initially started in the centre of London,” he said.

“Outside Tate Modern was one of my preferred locations but Tate wouldn’t play ball.

“As the campaign has progressed we’ve found more traction with councils and developers on the outer fringes.”

The project has also had interest along Thames tributaries such as the River Lea, Victoria Docks and Canary Wharf.

“At the moment we need to find a site and a committed partner,” he explained.

“They’re out there, it’s just finding them. Once we have that, things will fall into place.”

The project still requires planning approval and permission from the authorities, but Romer-Lee thinks that the attraction of a floating pool will bring Londoners and tourists from across the capital.

“In 2024, the Mayor of Paris wants to be swimming in the Seine,” he said.

“This is the ambition I want to see in London.”

Cllr Andrew Wood of Canary Wharf ward, Tower Hamlets, has backed the plans proposed by Thames Baths developers.

He wants to bring the lido to the Isle of Dogs, after voicing concerns that it had become too built up.

Cllr Wood explained that potential commuters needed more incentives to come into the office.

He said that Tower Hamlets Council has funds of over £500 million and believes that some of this money should be invested into public projects such as the lido.