Swimming pool bosses say a merger to bring it under a new council-led contract is vital for the facility to stay afloat long-term.

Fears have been raised that unless Faversham Pools is brought under the same umbrella as Swale Borough Council’s (SBC) other leisure centres, it faces an uncertain future.

The charity currently running the facility says rising running costs - which now stand at £1.2 million a year - and its limited reserves have seen it being put under pressure.

SBC provides an annual grant but the majority is funded from revenue generated by visitors and income from hiring out the venue.

The Faversham Pools Trust has been in discussions with SBC officers for the past year.

They have now agreed in principle for Faversham Pools to be included as part of a new council tender which would see it be managed alongside Swallows at Sittingbourne and the Sheppey Leisure Centre in Sheerness.

Councillors also backed the plans during a meeting of SBC’s community and leisure committee on March 5.

The deal, which is expected to be finalised in June, would see a new leisure operator run all three sites from April 2027 - when the current contract for Swallows and Sheppey Leisure Centre expires.

The indoor pools - currently leased by Faversham Pools Trust - will revert back under the local authority's ownership in full and return “all building maintenance risk to SBC”.

The trust owns the land where the outdoor pools were built in the 1960s after land was granted to the town.

Under the proposed new agreement, they would be leased to SBC and managed by the new contractor.

Faversham Pools Trust is a registered charity and its trustees are responsible for managing and overseeing the site.

Joint chairman Michael Ellsmore said: “We want to be clear that while discussions are underway with SBC no final decision has yet been made to hand over the operation of the pools.

"We are actively engaging with SBC to ensure that the terms are right for our charity, the pools, and our community.

"Ultimately, any decision will depend on the trustees being satisfied with the proposal."

The trust says it has been facing financial challenges due to increased energy prices, National Insurance and national minimum wage costs, as well as ongoing repairs and maintenance.

They add Faversham Pools' current grant of £80,000 from the council has also decreased in recent years but the proposals will help secure its future for the community for the next 15 years.

A spokesperson told KentOnline: “In practical terms, it means that a specialist leisure provider will run Faversham Pools in place of the current charity.

“This is a very common arrangement for swimming pools and leisure centres. They are very experienced in managing leisure facilities for the benefit of the communities they serve.

“SBC has to go through a public procurement exercise which will involve several providers offering to take on the management contract on the basis of a very detailed specification.

“The trustees will want to be satisfied that the specification ensures that the pools will not just continue as they are at the moment but in an improved state.

“If Faversham Pools is able to agree to the specification, the management contract will be between SBC and the provider that is selected.

“The trustees of Faversham Pools are currently in discussions with SBC about what guarantees will be built into the detailed specification for running the pools.

“It will cover prices, opening times and safety as well as a host of other details.”

The trust says it is planning to set up a “Friends of Faversham Pools” board which would be “run by local people who will be able to hold the provider to account and be regularly consulted” and ensure maintenance and improvements are carried out.

The spokesperson added: “The loss of autonomy is the price to be paid for the pools having a safe and secure future.

“The trustees want to ensure that the pools continue for many years to come and the best way of ensuring this is under SBC’s outsourcing contract.

“An uncertain future will be replaced with one that is secure. The trustees are certain that this is in the best interest of the community.”

The trust also confirmed staff working at Faversham Pools would be granted legal protection to be “automatically transferred” to the new operator.

The facility, which opened in 1964, attracts almost 250,000 visitors each year with the pools open all year round and rapids in the warmer months.

In 2019, it was named the second-best lido in the country in a Daily Mail ranking of the nation’s favourite swimming spots.

But the announcement has left several residents concerned about the future of their much-loved site.

Katy Ann Gee said: "It would be a crying shame to hand it to the council and corporate contracts.

"The only people who will benefit from this would be the organisation SBC contracts to run the pools. That is it.

"I don’t know a council that isn’t strapped and so wouldn’t take on a pool situation - they are shutting all over the place."

Meanwhile, Elsie Jones admits she "fears the pool will lose its uniqueness and good reputation for future generations".

A spokesman for SBC said: “Bringing all three leisure centres under the same management will undoubtedly bring benefits for residents with wider choice through combined memberships, consistent maintenance and repairs and hopefully greater investment from operators.

“We will now work with Faversham Pools to explore what the contract will look like, making sure we protect much of the unique offering Faversham Pools brings, ahead of proceeding with a tender later this year.”