SWIMMERS in Chipping Norton will have new changing rooms when the town’s outdoor pool opens for the summer.

Chipping Norton Lido’s current changing rooms lack privacy, cannot accommodate disabled users and are falling apart.

The pool, which attracts 15,000 swimmers each summer, also has hundreds of lockers but only keys to five of them.

Now a series of grants and the Lido’s own savings mean the facilities will be brought up to date.

Lido trustee Claire Jarvis said: “The changing rooms are in the condition from when they were built back in the 1970s.

“As you can imagine, they’re pretty shabby.

“They are hard to keep clean, the benches are falling apart and, in the gents’ room there is no private changing.

“Some time ago we refurbished the wet areas and now we want to bring the dry area up to date.”

Funding came from Kelloggs Swim Active (£18,046), the Lido’s own savings (£13,705) and Chipping Norton Town Council (£2,000).

Last week, West Oxfordshire District Council’s cabinet agreed to provide the remaining £11,250 needed for work to start.

The money will pay for flooring, lockers, benches and cubicles suitable for disabled users. The rooms will also be redecorated.

Ms Jarvis said: “We are delighted.

“We will have everything you would expect in a modern swimming pool.

“It is going to make a tremendous difference to all our existing users and help us attract more people to swim.”

tjennings@oxfordmail.co.uk