If it is true that the best things in life are worth waiting for, then Barton's swimming pool is going to be extra special when it is finally built.

Residents have campaigned for their own pool for eight long years and, like so many similar projects, there have been more downs than ups.

Now, thanks to a £1.7m Sport England Lottery grant, work is likely to start on the indoor, multi-million-pound pool on the Oxford estate next year.

Our city is badly off for indoor pools compared with other places of a similar size.

Now, thanks to the spirited campaign by the people of Barton, we have the chance to catch up. It is terrific news for schools too.

The persistence and drive of those who have made this possible are an example to any community which sets its heart on a project.

It is also gratifying to see Lottery money come our way.

We must now keep our fingers crossed that winning consent to build it on the former Bayswater School site is, as we have been assured, a mere formality.