The Charlton Champion

Months of poor communications with members and neighbours caught up with Charlton Lido’s management on Monday when Greenwich Council refused permission for a premises licence which would have enabled the lido to serve alcohol and hold live events.

GLL, which runs the lido, wanted a licence to hold members’ events as well as to hire it out for “book signings, film launches and art exhibitions”.

But neighbours got up a 94-name petition complaining about disturbance from events already held, and claiming that their complaints to GLL had been ignored.

Backed by Kidbrooke with Hornfair councillor Norman Adams, they claimed there had been “no communication” before events were held. Others complained about sleepless nights and even disturbance from the lido’s current operation during the daytime.

A Greenwich Council licensing sub-committee concluded that GLL “displayed an inability to manage the premises while holding events”.

“Whilst the Lido management had significant experience in managing leisure centres it was not felt that the applicant had demonstrated that they would be able to manage licensed events and uphold the licensing objectives. The Sub-Committee were of the opinion that the nature of the venue meant that even a small group of people would cause a disturbance. Whilst a number of conditions had been proposed the Sub Committee were not satisfied based on the evidence given by the applicant that events could be properly controlled,” the council’s decision notice reads.

The setback for the lido follows a string of avoidable problems caused by poor communications with members, including short notice changes to opening times, a “customer forum” that hadn’t been advertised to customers, and last year’s short-lived decision to rename the facility “Royal Greenwich Lido”.

GLL now has three weeks to decide if it wants to appeal against the decision and take the case to a magistrates’ court.