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Bristol's Jubilee Pool to reopen after lockdown

News imageBBC Jubilee PoolBBC
A consultation on the future of the council-owned pool was launched in August last year

The future of a swimming pool in Bristol that faced closure has been secured until next year.

Jubilee Pool in Knowle was at risk of closure because of a £230,000 maintenance bill.

But by August last year more than 4,000 people had signed a petition to save the pool, which was built in 1937.

Bristol City Council has promised to reopen the pool when the current lockdown ends and to keep it open until March 2022.

Mayor Marvin Rees said with the immediate future of the pool secured, work must continue to make it "financially sustainable long term".

The pool, which is operated by Parkwood Leisure, has been unable to reopen since the beginning of the first Covid-19 lockdown in March last year.

After hearing the views of the local community, the council has negotiated and agreed a more cost-effective plan with Parkwood so the pool can reopen once restrictions allow, and stay open until its contract runs out next year.

News imageJubilee Swimming Pool
The pool has faced closure twice in the past decade

Mr Rees added: "It is clear that members of the local community feel strongly that Jubilee Pool should be kept open, so we have done all we can to reach an agreement with the operator so it can reopen after lockdown.

"Local people are without doubt best placed to increase the visitor numbers that the pool needs to sustain its future, as proven by the success of other community groups in Bristol."

The council said that Jubilee Pool's situation was "sadly far from unique", adding that before the latest lockdown more than 200 pools across England were not expected to reopen due to the financial pressures of the pandemic, including the Oasis centre in nearby Swindon.

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Prior to the pandemic, campaign groups successfully fought off closure plans for the pool in 2011, when it was proposed to sell it to help pay for the PFI-funded £32m Hengrove Park Leisure Centre, and again in 2017.

Labour councillor for Windmill Hill Jon Wellington said in a Tweet on Monday: "Delighted that the mayor has confirmed that [the] council has come to an agreement with Parkwood that Jubilee Pool will reopen as soon as restrictions allow.

"We've worked hard on this but main credit must go to all who wrote, demonstrated and signed petitions in support of the pool."