Parish councillors continue to push on with action to save a threatened swimming pool which is due to close within weeks.

Oxford Brookes University intends to close the 25-metre swimming pool at its Harcourt Hill campus on September 1.

The university said the swimming pool, which is around 50 years old, is at an “end-of-life stage” and the maintenance costs of over £500,000 mean it is "not viable".

The university is set to relocate its activities from its Harcourt Hill campus (Image: Oxford Mail)

More than 1,500 people have now signed a petition opposing the closure of the facility which is open to the local community and used by school children from 12 different schools in the Oxford area.

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Lorna Berrett, chair of Botley and North Hinksey Parish Council, said: “We are not giving up on this campaign.

"There are only five public pools in Oxford and no others on this side of town. Losing even one would be a real blow to the community.  Swimming is an important form of exercise and leisure for all ages and a great family activity.

"We have engaged with Brookes and delivered a petition to the vice chancellor. We note that the costs of maintenance quoted by Brookes are phased over a nine-year period.

"We know that Brookes value community engagement and so we are appealing to those  community values and their long history of providing leisure facilities that are used by Botley residents and schools.

"We ask them to work with Vale of White Horse District Council, ourselves and other interested bodies to ensure a swimming pool can continue to operate at this location.

"In the longer term we would want to ensure that whoever takes over the Harcourt Hill site will commit to maintaining the pool.”

The university is set to relocate all its activities in Oxford on to the Headington Campus over the next year.

It said in a statement: "An independent report has confirmed that maintenance costs of more than half a million pounds are required to allow the swimming pool, which already runs at a significant operating loss, to operate in future years.

"Due to inflationary increases since the report was commissioned, the cost of implementing this necessary maintenance work would now be significantly higher.

"Unfortunately this is not viable.

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"No decisions have been taken on other Brookes Sport facilities located at the University’s Harcourt Hill Campus at this time and they will therefore continue to operate into the 2024/25 academic year."

Vale of White Horse District Council has said the pool is solely owned and operated by Oxford Brookes University and it had no involvement.  

However, it said it is analysing feedback on its forthcoming Leisure and Playing Pitch Strategy and "we will also review any implications of the university's decision has on the leisure needs of Vale residents".