Stoke Park Paddling Pool Stays Closed After Tests Show Contamination

Published on: 25 May, 2025
Updated on: 28 May, 2025

Closed until further notice – the paddling pool at Stoke Park, Guildford

By David Reading

The planned opening of the paddling pool at Stoke Park has been postponed by Guildford Borough Council because testing has shown the water to be contaminated.

The pool was to have opened yesterday (May 24) in time for the half-term break but last-minute tests have shown it isn’t safe.

The council hasn’t revealed what the contaminant is.

A notice displayed at the pool informs people: “Over the past few months we have made significant improvements to the paddling pool including resurfacing, early recruitment of staff to run the facility and additional training of staff to enhance safety and service. Despite our best efforts, water testing that needs to take place just before opening has revealed that the paddling pool water does not meet the required safety standards.”

Cllr Julia McShane, Lib Dem leader of the council, said in a video message on social media: “Your safety and your children’s safety is our utmost priority so we’ve taken the decision that it isn’t safe to open the paddling pool. We’re all devastated because the team have worked so hard to get the pool resurfaced and get staffing in place so that we could open.

The sign informing people that the pool “does not meet the required safety standards”

“What we’ll do is look into what has happened, put things right and we will update you again as soon as we have more information so that we can give you an idea of when we will be able to open the pool. It’s your safety that is most important to us.”

The decision not to open the pool drew some derision on social media, with one person declaring that this was “health and safety gone mad.”

But some pointed out that if the council had opened the pool despite knowing about the contamination, there would have been uproar if children had become ill.

This is not the first time the pool has been beset by problems.

In June 2022, we reported that the pool had reopened following a £141,000 resurfacing programme – but was closed days later because parents complained parts of it were too slippery.

The resurfacing had been necessary because the surface of the pool was breaking away, meaning filters were having to be regularly cleared in order to keep the water hygienic. The pool had previously been resurfaced five years before.