The future of Elswick Pool in the West End of Newcastle has been the subject of recent discussions between the City Council and the Friends of Elswick Pool (FOEP).
The City Council will work with FEOP to help identify a potential partner for the project.
The meetings have taken place at the Civic Centre to talk about what options are currently on the table for a community venue that closed its doors to the public back in October 2015.
The Friends of Elswick Pool is made up of people passionate about Elswick, and the importance of having a dedicated leisure facility in this part of Newcastle.
Cllr Kim McGuinness, cabinet member for culture and communities at Newcastle City Council, said: “Leisure and cultural provision across the city is vital for the health and well-being of residents and their families, which is why we’ve been meeting with the Friends of Elswick Pool to listen to their current proposals.
“The difficult decision to close Elswick Pool was down to falling user numbers and the venue not generating sufficient revenue to continue operating as part of the city’s leisure network. This is why we need to be stringent with any plans for the centre’s future, to examine every possibility, and analyse the proposed business model being presented.
“The Council are in discussions with the Friends of Elswick Pool as they have the best interests of Elswick and the surrounding area at heart, and we’ll continue to discuss their ideas and plans for the future.”
Friends of Elswick Pool (FOEP) have recently received a £155,000 grant from Power To Change, an independent charitable trust that distributes Big Lottery Fund money to support and develop community businesses.
FOEP spokeswoman, Diane Tait, said: “We are continuing to deliver an action plan for Elswick Pool with help from the people of Elswick for the people of Elswick as we couldn’t have got this far without them. It’s for the residents and local groups that we have worked hard to prove the pool can have a future, and once again be a leisure, health and social asset for the community, and the wider city.”
The City Council now intends to go through a process of asking for ‘expressions of interest’ from community and leisure organisations that want to support FEOP’s attempt to reopen the pool.
People can follow Newcastle City Council on social media @newcastlecitycouncil (Face Book) and @NewcastleCC (Twitter) @lovenewcastle (Instagram).
People can also learn more about the Friends of Elswick Pool by visiting at The-Friends-Of-Elswick-Pool (Face Book) and @elswickpool (Twitter).
The City Council will continue to meet with the Friends of Elswick Pool in the New Year.