Pool in Bristol may remain open despite closure threats

A Bristol pool may remain open five years after the city council announced it would have to be closed.

Jubilee pool, in Knowle, along with Bishopsworth pool, was threatened with closure to fund Hengrove's new £22m sports centre.

The news comes after Parkwood Leisure, which manages the Hengrove pool, took over running Jubilee Baths in December.

They said they have been impressed by the pool's popularity and believe it has a viable future.

Liberal Democrat councillor Simon Cook confirmed "under the current plans Bishopsworth [pool] will still close".

Councillor Cook, who is in charge of leisure at the authority, welcomed Parkwood Leisure's suggestion to keep Jubilee pool open and said that they have asked the council to support the opening of a small gym there.

"We would want to find the capital to put this small gym in," he said.

After initial plans to wait for Hengrove complex to open in 2012 to see if the two smaller pools could be afforded, Bristol City Council announced in 2006 that Jubilee and Bishopsworth pool would close once the Hengrove sports centre opened.

After seeing the popularity of Jubilee pool Parkwood Leisure has now said it could remain open while still allowing Hengrove to thrive as a facility on its own.