PLANS to repair Sheppey’s dilapidated public swimming pool were finally endorsed last night by borough councillors. A full council meeting agreed that work costing at least £1 million will start on the project in October next year.

The decision means that the Sheerness Times Guardian newspaper's two-year campaign to keep a public pool on Sheppey has cleared its last hurdle.

Editor Duncan Marsh said: "This news makes me proud of this newspaper's special role in the Sheppey community and is an example of a local campaign that has actually achieved something.

"There was a real possibility of the Island losing another important facility but we stood firm and made sure the decision-makers knew the strength of feeling on the issue. Our readers have made a real difference and their voices have been heard"

Tenders for the whole scheme and scaled down projects to refurbish the building off Royal Road, Sheerness, will be sought.

Councillors ruled out making an agreement with Minster College to build a pool at the college for the time being.

The council had previously pledged cash to guarantee the Sheerness pool’s future, but when college officials proposed a joint project to build a pool at their site, the council stalled on making a final decision about the old pool while they considered the college scheme.

Cllr Ian Smart (Lab), chairman of the newspaper’s Save Our Pool campaign, welcomed the news but warned that it was also important to provide an adequate annual maintenance grant for the pool.

He added: “That’s being penny wise and pound foolish - as we can all see.”

Brian Planner, the council’s engineering services manager, said before the meeting: “The extent of the refurbishment will depend on the valueof the tenders which are due to be received and considered by the executive towards the end of April 2004.”

Mr Planner said the pool would be closed for 26 weeks from October next year while the work was done.