In The Swim

Responsibility for Arundel swimming pool now rests in the hands of the town council and the trust, after Arun District Council signed over the lease last Wednesday.

And it was an historic moment for trust chairman Ruth Kerslake, who said: "We are delighted to be signing the lease today.

"We look forward to building on our partnership with Arundel Town Council and developing a partnership with Arun District Council, so that we can re-open this popular and unique outdoor swimming pool to the public, at the earliest opportunity."

Arun District Council have pledged nearly 142,000 towards refurbishment costs and have agreed to pay an additional one-off sum of 6,000 to the trust for inspections, testing and repairs to the pool and equipment.

The pool closed in 1999 and now needs a total of 1.75 million spent on it before it can re-open.

The trust set up to get the open air pool re-opened and now has 15 months to raise a substantial part of the total money needed, under the terms of the lease.

Arundel mayor Bill Beere wished the trust every success in its continuing fund-raising efforts.

"I am delighted we have come this far, the preparation for re-opening the swimming pool has taken three years and the hard work is just beginning."