Campaigners trying to keep the open air pool in Chipping Norton running next summer have until February 7 to come up with £13,500.

That is exactly half of the annual running costs which have previously been picked up by West Oxfordshire District Council.

The council's cabinet, urged by officers to close the pool immediately on cost grounds, have agreed a last minute reprieve.

But Chipping Norton Town Council and a Keep Our Pool Open campaign, launched in the town last year with a petition signed by around 3,000 people, now have to ensure they can provide the £13,500 by the time the district sets its budget in February.

The outdoor pool was the only swimming facility in the town until a new indoor pool opened about 18 months ago at the Chipping Norton Leisure Centre.

The town's mayor Jo Graves and campaign group member Jude Douglas spoke at the cabinet meeting.

Mrs Graves said: "We very much appreciate the new leisure centre but the outdoor pool provides a very different facility for the town.

"It provides a meeting place both for families and young people with fitness and good clean fun during the summer months. Once the pool is closed in Chipping Norton it will never open again."

Mrs Douglas said: "We are setting up a Friends of the Pool and have had some substantial pledges of money, as well as having £2,000 from the campaign to keep the pool open. We believe we can generate more income if the pool was properly marketed."

Cabinet leader Barry Norton said: "We decided to keep the pool open if they can pledge half the running costs by February 7 which is when we set our budget.

"It's up to them now to show us what they can do."

The town council will discuss the issue at its next meeting on January 19. The future of several open air pools across Oxfordshire has recently been hanging in the balance.

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