Historic open air pool in Portishead to receive £1.3 million for refurbishment
An open-air pool in North Somerset is to receive £1.3 million in funding from a state grant scheme for a revamp.
Portishead Open Air Pool, which first opened in 1962, is one of several "vital" community projects in the South West to benefit from the final injection of cash from the government's £150m community ownership fund.
In total, 11 projects in the South West will share a total of around £4.7 million in funding.
The successful bidders also include projects to preserve the Victorian Shoalstone Pool in Brixham, Devon, as well as to secure the future of The Old Neighbourhood Community Inn, in Chalford Hill, Gloucestershire.
The scheme, launched in 2021, was set up to help communities save cherished parks, pubs and community centres. It was due to run until March 2025 but is being brought to an end early.
Around £135 million of the promised £150 million has been allocated to 409 projects across the country over the course of the scheme, with a further £8.5 million used to provide support before and after applications.
The unspent money will be used to fund other Government priorities, officials said.
Sadik Al-Hassan, MP for North Somerset said: "I am incredibly proud to have supported the Portishead Pool Community Trust in their bid for Government funding with an amazing £1,330,567 announced today as a lovely early Christmas present.
"This grant is to support it into the future so that it can continue the amazing work the team does and maintain this vital Portishead asset."
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: "We are delivering on our plan for change by saving these vital community assets to provide important opportunities for working people and their families.
"These projects represent what is so special about communities across the UK – bringing people of all ages together, providing vital support and giving them a sense of purpose and belonging.
"Every project will support social causes in the community, keeping widely used services open and thriving to improve people’s health and wellbeing."
While the fund has now closed, ministers have promised to provide more details in 2025 on community ownership of assets under reforms in the English Devolution White Paper published earlier this month.
Minister for local growth, Alex Norris, said: "We’ve prioritised these grants to help preserve and upgrade what these vital places offer to their communities – whether that’s improving access to sport and education, tackling loneliness or boosting family services for parents and children.
"This is just the start of our work to support communities and give them greater control of their assets and we’ll be setting out our full strategy next year."