Swimmers fighting to save an Oxford sports centre threatened with closure won a lifeline for the building yesterday.

Peers Sports and Leisure Centre in Littlemore is threatened with closure because the city council wants to withdraw from a contract to run the centre, which is owned by the county council.

Council leaders believe the sports centre and pool will be demolished to make way for the controversial proposal to transform Peers School into an academy.

Yesterday, the city council's executive agreed in principle to withdraw from the agreement with the county council to run the site.

But no deadline for closure was decided and David Rundle, deputy city council leader, pledged residents would be consulted about which other city-council run facilities could best accommodate them.

Mr Rundle said: "This is not closure, it is withdrawal from a joint use. A final decision has not been made and we will be talking to users."

Chris Coghill, 60, the treasurer of Littlemore Early Morning Swimmers, was among protesters at the Town Hall yesterday, pictured.

He said: "Our group has been using the pool for 25 years and there are an enormous range of community groups who use it.

"The academy may get control of the site, but why should we give up before we have to?"

Kathleen Newman, 78, of Bartholomew Road, Cowley, added: "I use the pool three times a week. Temple Cowley pool is too cold and Blackbird Leys is not big enough."

The Oxford Academy could replace Peers School if the plans are approved later this year.

Peers is expected to close next summer and reopen next September as the Oxford Academy, if the Anglican Diocese of Oxford sees its plans approved by councillors in November.