01 Mar 2013
Legal challenge against Oxford swimming pool dropped
BY Jessica Tasman-Jones
A legal challenge to prevent Oxford City Council closing a public swimming pool so a £9.2m replacement can be built has been dropped, following the High Court’s rejection of the claim the community had not been properly consulted.
Councillor Van Coulter, member for the council’s leisure board, said he was glad the “costly and time consuming” case – launched in October 2011 – was over.
The council plans to operate the existing pools at Temple Cowley and Blackbird Leys until the new pool is completed, but states both facilities are in a poor state and expensive to maintain.
The new pool will be linked to Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre and will comprise a 25m main pool, teaching pool, moveable floor, toddlers’ splash pool, sauna and soft play area.
A Sport England grant of £75,000 towards the pool is at risk if legal issues are not resolved soon, and savings made by closing the two existing pools will provide the majority of funding.
A conditional contract has been signed with Wilmot Dixon for the construction of the new pool.
The council must still defend another legal challenge concerning a town green application.
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