“It’s such a shame,” say residents as town’s only outdoor pool remains shut during the heatwave.

Abbey Meadow pool, which is owned by the Vale of White Horse District Council, is due to reopen for six weeks but only from July 25.

The council said the outdoor pool would be very costly to run as heating costs were expected to be around £107,000, compared to £47,000 in previous seasons.

READ MORE: APPROVED: Plans for HUGE water park in Oxfordshire

In May, the council agreed the deal to ensures the pool can open when it’s most needed, even though running costs like oil to heat the pool have more than doubled.

However, residents have described the delayed opening on Facebook as an “appalling mismanagement of taxpayers facilities”.

Commenting on a post in Facebook group Abingdon on Thames, residents have said the pool being closed is a “disgrace” compared to Wallingford and Hinksey pools which have been open since June.

The upset comes after the only other pool in the town, White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre, in Audlett Drive, temporarily closed on Friday (15) due to “unforeseen circumstances” before the heatwave this week.

READ MORE: Outdoor pool is FINALLY reopening - but not in time for the heatwave

The facility released a statement stating it is unknown when the pool will reopen but they are aiming to re-open as “soon as possible”.  

In the statement online, it said: “We would like to apologise for this temporary pause in service while we do everything we can to get you back to Better.”

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Read more from this author

This story was written by Gee Harland, she joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford, Wantage and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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