Many supporters will have been following the ongoing saga of Wingerworth Lido and North East Derbyshire District Council's (NEDDC) outrageous ban on angling there.
On Monday (3 November 2025), without any prior announcement, NEDDC published on their website a consultation on the future of the lido. While we welcome this important opportunity for concerned members of the public to have their say on the matter, it is now more important than ever that anglers and members of the local community speak up to defend angling at the Wingerworth Lido. We cannot allow councillors, pushing an unsupported agenda, to cause such great harm to a thriving community.
This would not have happened without relentless campaigning by local anglers, Big Duffs, supportive councillors and the Countryside Alliance, and now we must ensure that everyone who values fishing at the lido uses the consultation to have their voice heard.
The consultation is not framed in a yes/no to angling format, and asks a series of questions about the future of the lido, with only minor reference to angling throughout. It does not even reference that angling, up until recently, had been permitted. It is therefore all the more important that supporters of angling respond to this consultation, fully making the case for the future of angling at the lido.
Please help ensure the future of angling at Wingerworth Lido by completing the consultation, which can be found here.
Local residents and concerned members of the public that support angling may find the following answers helpful. It is important that local people outline their own, personal, experiences of angling at the lido, where they see fit, in their own words. The below is a guide.
Suggested responses:
Q1: Please fill in the answers appropriate to where you live.
Q2: Please answer according to how often you visit Wingerworth Lido.
Q3: Please tick all appropriate boxes, but ensure that you select the 'fishing' option.
Q4: Here it is important that you tick "Recreation and leisure", if you are a supporter of angling. The angling community plays a vital role in ensuring the ecological health of bodies of water, and these conservation efforts have been proven to have a beneficial effect upon biodiversity. We therefore recommend that you also tick the 'Wildlife and plants (biodiversity)' option.
Q5: On this question, it is crucial that you rank "Opportunities for recreation", "Heritage and history", and "Fishing" as very important (5). Angling is an important recreation activity that has been shown to have significant positive impacts upon mental health. Wingerworth Lido has maintained a long affiliation with angling, and it is important that NEDDC are made aware that this should be safeguarded for future generations. Supporters of angling know why fishing is incredibly important for numerous different reasons.
Q6: Here it is crucial that you stress the importance of angling at the lido, which is currently banned. An example answer could be as follows: "I would like to see the council safeguard the future of angling at the lido by immediately reversing the ban on angling, which has caused major detrimental effects on the wellbeing and enjoyment of local residents, and could cause significant ecological damage to the lido and its wildlife."
Q7: On this question, given that angling is currently banned at the lido, an example answer could be the following: "I have major concerns about NEDDC's decision to ban angling at the lido. Not only did this happen without any engagement with local communities, causing damage to relations between locals and the council, the angling ban has negatively affected the wellbeing and mental health of the angling community and local residents, as well as presenting a major ecological threat to the lido and its wildlife. I urge the council to reverse the angling ban with immediate effect."
Q8: In answering this question, it is important to stress the importance of angling in your visits to Wingerworth Lido. An answer could be as follows: "I would be encouraged to visit Wingerworth Lido much more frequently if the council were to reverse its decision to ban angling at the lido. Angling is beneficial not only to my wellbeing and mental health, but also to the ecological health of the lido."
Q9: When providing further comments or suggestions about the future of the lido, we would encourage you to make suggestions similar to the following: "I would urge the council to immediately reverse its decision to ban angling at the lido. This important and longstanding recreation has provided huge benefits to anglers and the local community, and has also ensured that, until now, the lido has been healthy and teeming with wildlife, thanks to the day-to-day work of the Clay Cross Angling Association. Reversing the ban would ensure a positive and healthy future both for the local community and for the lido itself.
Q10: Please confirm how you heard about NEDDC's consultation on the lido's future. Answer accordingly.
Q11, Q12, Q13 and Q14: Please fill in as applicable.
We hope this guide proves useful and has helped you to have your say in the future of Wingerworth Lido. The Countryside Alliance will continue to fight for the future of fishing at the lido, and for angling across the UK.