A YORK swimming pool has been saved from closure.

The Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT) is to hand over the running of New Earswick Swimming Pool to a campaigners’ charity on December 31.

The decision comes just over a year after the trust announced it would have to shut the loss-making pool from March 2018 because it could not commit to the necessary funding of it.

The closure prompted swimmers to form a charitable limited company, the Friends of New Earswick Swimming Pool (FoNESP), which has been in lengthy negotiations with the trust over much of this year.

The trust says FoNESP will be given the keys to the pool on December 31 and take on full responsibility for maintaining the building, managing its facilities and expanding opportunities for local groups to hire the pool.

“A 25-year lease has been agreed, which will give the Friends the certainty they need to plan for the long-term future of the pool,” said a spokesman.

Trust chief executive Campbell Robb said: “Generations of people have learnt to swim and made new friends here, so it’s exciting to see it start the next chapter of its story.

“Along with the newly-refurbished Folk Hall and our retirement community at New Lodge, the pool now has a strong future at the heart of New Earswick.

“I would like to thank the Friends for their hard work and commitment during the months of negotiations, and JRHT’s own staff, who have given a wealth of guidance and advice to the Friends as they prepare to take this responsibility.”

Friends chair Andrew Calverley said he was delighted to have reached the end of negotiations with the positive result he wanted. “The pool is much valued by many people in New Earswick and beyond, and it’s fantastic that it now has a future.

“Thank you to all of those who supported our campaign to save the pool, particularly our local MP Julian Sturdy, and to JRHT and members of the Friends for helping us to get to where we are now.”

Pool sessions will continue as usual after the festive break when it reopens on January 7. Anyone interested in hiring the pool or joining the Friends should email friendsofnewearswickpool@gmail.com.