'Much-loved' lido upgraded ahead of reopening

Woodgreen is Banbury's only outdoor pool

Facilities at a "much-loved" outdoor swimming pool have been upgraded ahead of its reopening in time for summer.

Cherwell District Council has invested £130,000 into Woodgreen Leisure Centre in Banbury ahead of the reopening of its 50m pool on Monday.

Work on the lido includes new showers and toilets, as well as improvements to the changing room facilities.

Rob Pattenden, the council's healthy communities chief, said the investment showed the swimming pool was "very much moving with the times".

"Swimming is such an accessible and beneficial form of exercise and so it's a brilliant way for us to invest in our communities' health and wellbeing," Mr Pattenden said.

"With the warm weather we're having, I fully expect people to be making the most of Banbury's wonderful outdoor pool as it opens its doors for another summer."

The pool first opened to swimmers in 1939

Among the improvements at the leisure centre is a new accessible, step-free shower for people with disabilities.

The changing rooms and lockers have been reconfigured for "ease of use", the council said.

Funding for the project came from money secured from developers, through Section 106 agreements, which are used to mitigate the impact of developments on the local community.

Woodgreen lido, which the council said was "much-loved", first opened to swimmers in 1939, and is Banbury's only outdoor swimming pool.

In addition to the pool itself, the facility also includes a flume, a splash park and a snack bar.