At Oakland Construction, we combine experience and a commitment to excellence to deliver spaces that are built to last.

Based in Bristol, we’ve built a strong reputation as a trusted regional contractor, and are proud to be an award‐winning business, known for consistently delivering quality-driven projects across Healthcare, Education, Commercial, Heritage, and Social Housing sectors.

Our focus on detail, reliability, and high standards means every project meets your expectations — from start to finish.

After a comprehensive tender process over the past months, we are delighted to announce that Oakland Construction Ltd, based in Bristol, have been appointed as the main design and build contractor to carry out a wide range of repairs, structural changes and improvements.

The Pool has now closed to allow sufficient time for us to complete the refurbishment in line with Government Guidelines. Our Cafe will be closing on the 28th September for a short period. Our staff will be working with Beacon Partnership over this period.

What a fabulous summer we had at the Pool and Cafe. Thank you so much to our volunteers who worked across the site - maintaining all facilities, in the pool, cafe, kitchen, tuck shop and at reception.  So much goes on behind the scenes with our Board of Trustees, marketing and social media teams all who have volunteered their time and experience to help us . You know, who you are and the community owes you a huge thank you for all the time and efforts. Well done!

We’re thrilled to share an update on the transformation of our much-loved Portishead Open Air Pool and Café. Over the past few months, our dedicated team of trustees, staff, volunteers, and partners have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to deliver a major refurbishment project that will enhance your experience for years to come.

What’s Been Happening?

Working closely with our project managers IESIS, architects ECE Westworks, and main contractors Oakland Construction, we’ve tackled a complex and time-sensitive programme. As expected with a project of this scale, there have been challenges and unexpected changes along the way. Thanks to the incredible efforts of everyone involved, we’ve kept things on track and within budget.

Special thanks go to:

Darrell Pearce and Rick Davies from Oakland Construction

Andy Thatcher and the maintenance team

Andrea Goude, our Co-Chair and Treasurer, for skilful financial management

Sophia Wollschläger, our Business Manager, for sourcing quality furniture and equipment at great value

What’s New?

A fresh new look for Café Lido

Upgrades to electrical, security, and data systems

New staff training and breakout rooms

Stylish new café furniture

These improvements have been made possible by a successful 2025 season and careful financial planning, ensuring we remain within budget while delivering real value to our community.

Timeline and Next Steps

While we’re about two weeks behind the original schedule, we’ve secured an extension from the Community Ownership Fund (COF) to maintain compliance and funding. Here’s what’s next:

End of January 2026: Refurbishment works complete and site handed back to the Portishead Pool Community Trust

February–March 2026: Final preparations, including:

Refreshing the pool site and facilities

Furnishing new rooms and offices

Updating procedures and completing safety testing

Reassembling and retraining our pool team

Easter 2026 (First weekend of April): Grand Reopening!

Thank You for Your Support

We couldn’t have done this without the continued support of our members, staff, volunteers, and the wider community. Your patience and encouragement mean the world to us.

Stay tuned for more updates, including photos of the refurbished café, changing rooms, and staff areas. We’ll also share details of our upcoming AGM and volunteer meetings soon.

You might know we've been putting in some serious elbow grease trying to secure a grant from the Government to spruce up our beloved pool and cafe. Well, guess what?!  We DID IT! The grant is officially ours, and we're so thrilled because it means we can create a truly wonderful and improved community space for all of us to enjoy in 2025. It's been a journey, but knowing what a fantastic difference this will make for everyone makes all the hard work totally worth it! 

Iesis Project Managers have been appointed to oversee the transformation of Portishead’s Pool and Cafe , following a significant capital investment from the Community Ownership Fund.

This refurbishment aims to improve accessibility,  environmental sustainability, a welcoming social community space and secure the facility’s future.

Ryan Jones, the MD for Iesis Consult commented:

"We are delighted to be appointed as Project Managers for the refurbishment of the Portishead Pool and Cafe. This capital investment marks a significant opportunity to enhance accessibility, sustainability, and community engagement. We look forward to working alongside the Portishead Community Trust to deliver a space that will serve the community for years to come.

IEIS - Project & cost management
Waterson - Measured Survey
Solum - CCTV/Drainage survey
ECE Westworks & Westworks Interiors - Architects & Interior Designers
Western Building Consultants - CDM/Principal Designer
Cook Brown - Building Inspector
Hulley & Kirkwood - M&E Consultants
Solarsense - Solar panel installations
Bath & Demolition - Oil boilers, tank and flue removal
BBSM - Biomass boiler installation and service
TAM Engineering - Pool cover, drainage rerouting
Portishead Roofing Services Ltd - Roof repairs
VWV - Legal and contractual advisors
Jubb - Civil and structural advisor

We are known for our collaborative approach, technical excellence and have a proven track record of delivering innovative design solutions across a broad range of sectors, placing a strong focus on community driven projects.  We prioritise sustainability, designing energy efficient systems that are durable and adaptable for future upgrades. At the same time, we maintain a balance between cost, quality, and performance to create solutions that are not only functional but also environmentally responsible.  We are proud to support Portishead Pool Community Trust through our Bristol and Plymouth offices, providing specialist mechanical and electrical design services for the Open Air Pool project

WBC Group is a South West-based multi-disciplinary practice specialising in architecture, surveying, and engineering. With offices in Bath and Bristol, we provide practical, expert-led solutions to help clients get the most from their buildings - whether residential, commercial, or community spaces. 

VWV, a Bristol-based law firm, is proud to support the Portishead Open Air Pool with its exciting redevelopment plans. Our specialist team has worked closely with the trustees to provide timely legal advice, helping to secure grant funding from the Community Ownership Fund and the appointments of the building contractors and professional teams. With strict deadlines linked to the use of grant funds, we’ve ensured fast, pragmatic support to keep the project moving forward. As long standing supporters of community-focused initiatives, we're delighted to play a part in safeguarding the future of this much-loved local landmark.

Ridge is a Built Environment Multidisciplinary Consultancy with a focus on quality, innovation and growth. We provide Civil and Structural design for Portishead Open Pool remodelling project. In the SouthWest, we have offices located in Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham and Plymouth.

SolarSense has partnered with Portishead Pool Community Trust to deliver a comprehensive renewable energy solution for the iconic Portishead Lido. The project includes a 36.12kWp rooftop solar PV system and a 70kW solar thermal system, designed to reduce operational costs, cut emissions, and support long-term sustainability.

This project stands as a powerful example of how community-led initiatives can drive meaningful climate action, generate long-term financial savings, and safeguard the future of cherished public spaces.

SolarSense is an employee-owned Certified B Corporation, committed to the highest standards of quality and environmental performance, backed by ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accreditation.

Solum Surveying were proud to support this project by providing precise underground drainage CCTV Surveying. Our experienced team delivered detailed, accurate data to support safe and efficient site works and ongoing maintenance planning.

Solum Surveying is a long-established surveying company specialising in PAS128 underground utility mapping, CCTV drainage surveys, no dig drainage repairs, jet vac and tankering of waste, drone, measured build and topographical surveys.

We provide various preconstruction and construction services from digital measure survey, condition reporting, to guidance and advice on building techniques and processes across the south west.

We are licensed by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to provide Building Regulation approvals for all types of construction projects. As a Registered Building Control Approver, we help ensure your projects comply with Building Regulations from the design stage through to the completion of your project. Our office locations are- Office locations: Barnsley | Barry | Birmingham | Bristol | London | Stoke-on-Trent | Swansea | Tewkesbury | York

Westworks Interiors and ECE Westworks are proud to lead the interior design and architecture for the refurbishment of Portishead Lido — a much-loved community landmark with deep local significance. Our approach balances respect for the Lido’s heritage with thoughtful, contemporary updates that enhance inclusivity, accessibility, and wellbeing.

Portishead Roofing Services is a family run roofing company with over 25 years’ experience in the roofing and building trade serving all of North Somerset and beyond. We can cater for small domestic projects and repairs through to large scale commercial/industrial work with national companies - no job is too small. Some of the services we provide are full tile and slate re-roofs, flat roofing installations, flat to pitch conversions, warm roof build ups, insulation upgrades, dry hip and ridge installations, leadwork, UPVC fascia boards, soffits and guttering, storm damage and repairs, chimney removal, rendering and all remedial works. We pride ourselves on a personal service with realistic timescales, fully trained and reliable workforce.

BBSM Ltd is a specialist renewable energy heating contractor, responsible for the design, supply, and installation of a high-efficiency wood pellet boiler system to maintain the pool at its required temperature.

Based in the Southwest, our team of Bristol and locally based engineers are delivering the project using state-of-the-art biomass heating technology. We’re proud to contribute to such a valuable community amenity for Portishead and the surrounding area.