Image: OCC said the development is fully funded

Oxford City Council (OCC) has announced the development of a new £9.2m swimming pool has been "significantly delayed" as a result of continuing legal challenges.

The competition-standard pool will be built at Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre and provide a new replacement for "older and expensive" pools at Temple Cowley and Blackbird Leys.

Willmott Dixon has already been chosen to build the FaulknerBrowns Architects-designed facility, which has been granted planning permission and is fully funded.

However, the project has been subject to legal challenges from groups that oppose both the site of the new complex and the proposed closure of the existing facilities.

Oxfordshire County Council has rejected a Town Green application for the project site, but the decision has now been challenged through a judicial review application.

Meanwhile, it had been proposed that the existing pools would be closed this year, with the council spending £97,000 last year on maintaining Temple Cowley Pool to keep it open.

OCC board member for leisure services Van Coulter said: "It is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and run Temple Cowley Pools.

"We made a commitment to keep the pools open until the new pool was ready but we were planning for that to be achieved during 2012."

Click here for more information about the delays to Oxford's new multi-million pound swimming pool project.