CAMPAIGNERS have welcomed plans to breathe new life into a much-loved open-air pool and park.

Leisure bosses approved the appointment of a project manager to draw up fully-costed plans to improve Abbey Meadows in Abingdon, including maintaining the outdoor pool.

The decision from Vale of White Horse District Council’s cabinet follows a consultation where 81 per cent of 3,157 respondents voted to keep the pool.

Dr Peter Harbour, who has fought a long-running campaign to save the outdoor pool with the Friends of Abbey Meadow Outdoor Pool (FOAMOP), was delighted with the decision.

He said: “This is a very exciting time for those potential users of Abbey Meadows and we hope to be able to collaborate at an early stage with the officers and consultants in identifying the best features for a pool for the 21st century and the whole environs of the meadow.

“The Friends were delighted to hear that 81 per cent of those responding to the consultation said they supported our incomparable pool.

“We are pleased that the Vale cabinet has agreed to apply at least £500,000 to fund the improvements in Abbey Meadow and will obtain initial costings by October that will help define the best choices for all.”

The pool, run by Greenwich Leisure Limited, is open throughout the summer between May and September.

Although the town had an open-air pool as early as 1880, the current one was dug in the 1950s and was used for children’s swimming lessons until 1976. A public consultation over its future ran from February to April with only 310 people voting for alternatives to be pool staying open but 2,593 voting to keep it.

The most popular potential improvements suggested included new picnic tables and seats, refurbishing the changing rooms, adventure play equipment, an enhanced splash pad and new coffee kiosk.

Other ideas included improving the play area, outdoor gym equipment, a pop-up cafe, outdoor performance arena, nature area, public art trail and bandstand.

The cabinet heard that officers are expecting to have drafted an advert for the project manager role in two weeks and to have recruited by the beginning of August.

Once in post the project manager will draw up fully-costed proposals to improve the park within the £500,000 budget based on the results of the consultation.

Abingdon district councillor Sandy Lovatt hailed the decision as a great step in the right direction for the park off Abbey Close.

He added: “The really good thing about it is the fact we have a decision on this at last.

“Abbey Meadows has been talked about for years and years – it is the most used park in the Vale.

“Now we have a design and now we are going to progress it and we have some form of ideas.”