A NEW £200,000 community gym will be created at an East Oxford school.

Oxford City Council is working with Oxford Spires Academy to extend and upgrade its sports hall which will include a new gym available for residents to use.

The council is committed to providing a new facility accessible by the community once Temple Cowley Pools and Fitness Centre closes.

Sue Croft, the principal at Oxford Spires Academy, said: “I am absolutely delighted. It is right for the community and it is right for the school. We are looking forward to increasing our provision of facilities and our offer of activities to all people locally. We have sporting facilities which members of the public come in to use already, like our tennis courts.”

She said the school and council – which is paying for the work – had yet to work out how use of the facility would be divided between the community and pupils.

The city council is hoping to close down Temple Cowley because facilities are in such a bad state of repair. It will replace them with a brand new multi-million pound pool in Blackbird Leys and the new gym at Oxford Spires.

But the plans have been beset by legal challenges, with a judicial review into a town green application for the land the new pool would be built on still outstanding.

A hearing will be held at the High Court on Tuesday, April 16, to determine whether the city council can go ahead with the plans or not.

The council hopes the facilities at Oxford Spires will support the new competition-standard swimming pool in Blackbird Leys.

City councillor Van Coulter, board member for leisure services, said: “This is a good investment for the council and will provide sporting facilities for the community.”

The money will enable the extension and upgrade to the sports hall, which will include a new purpose- built fitness gym, entrance and viewing gallery.

Changing facilities at the school are currently being remodelled as part of an £8.2m redevelopment of the school and will be open in May.

Nigel Gibson, a member of the Save Temple Cowley Pools campaign, said: “The council doesn’t seem to realise that you can’t swim in a gym.

“Totally ignoring the wishes of its citizens, who want Temple Cowley Pools kept open, this is a pathetic attempt to patch up a disaster that has been coming since they were forced to come clean in 2010 about their plans to close Temple Cowley Pools.”