RENOVATION work at Parliament Hill Lido has gone over-budget by more than £80,000.
A report by the director of technical services at the Corporation of London, which manages the 1930s outdoor pool, says that bosses have had to take £84,000 from a contingency fund to meet unforeseen costs. The collapse of a café terrace wall in October last year is blamed for the bulk of the budget deficit.
It cost £35,000 to rebuild the wall, which experts believe collapsed because of water from the Heath flowing under the café.
The report to the Corporation stated: “It is extremely fortunate the failure of the wall did not occur at a time when the Lido was open to the public.”
Structural defects and delays caused by Thames Water works in Gordon House Road in October and November last year are blamed for the remainder of the overspend.
Work, which will now cost just over £2.25 million, is expected to be finished by April 29 as planned. A stainless steel lining is being fitted to stop leaks at the pool.