Campaigners are celebrating after council leaders agreed to start talks about placing Portishead Open-air Pool into the hands of a community trust.

The move is seen as a leap forward for the Save The Open- air Pool (STOP) campaign, but it still needs to convince the authority its plans are viable.

North Somerset Council's executive decided it will not re-open the Sixties pool next season, but it will sit down with members of the campaign to discuss their plans to take over the pool.

A trust has already been set up by STOP campaigners to manage the pool and a business plan for its future operation submitted to the authority.

A meeting is scheduled to take place today between members of the pool trust, North Somerset Council's leader and financial bosses at the authority.

Council leaders will study the business plan over the next few weeks and talk to the trustees before deciding whether the proposals are feasible.

If the trust option is ruled out, the council plans to permanently close the pool and sell the site.

The STOP campaign was launched in October with support from the Post, following a recommendation by council leaders that the pool should close to save cash.

North Somerset Council said it cost £130,000 a year to run the pool and that it was subsidising each swim by more than £14.

STOP campaign leader Roger Whitfield welcomed news the council was willing to explore the trust option, but said the hard work to convince authority leaders it was the right way forward was about to begin.

Mr Whitfield said: "We may have won the first battle but we have not won the war. The future of the pool still hangs in the balance.

"However we see this decision by the executive to open up discussions on the possibilities of a trust running the pool as a significant step forward.

"We will be working very hard to prove to the powers at North Somerset Council that a trust really is a viable option.

"We have plans in place and a committed team of trustees and volunteers who want to make this work.

"With goodwill and help from the council, we are confident we can open the open-air pool next season."

A 3,553-name petition was handed to the executive at the meeting, calling for the authority to place the lido in the hands of a trust.

Council leader Nigel Ashton said: "I used to swim in the pool when I was a child and I do not want to shut this facility down.

"But we are in a position financially where we have to make cuts to balance our books and have no option but to make difficult and unpopular decisions.

"We have listened to all the arguments and we now plan to have full and frank discussions with the trust to see if they can put a viable proposal forward.

"I would be absolutely delighted if the trust can show me a viable way forward and if there is anything we can do to help them, we will do it."

Portishead councillors spoke up in favour of placing the pool in the hands of the trust at the meeting.

And they criticised the management of the pool in recent years, claiming the authority had allowed it to fall into disrepair.

The pool is managed by contractor DC Leisure on behalf of the authority, which pays the firm an annual fee of around £75,000.

DC Leisure then takes 90 per cent of all income generated at the pool, with just 10 per cent going back to the authority.

Councillors said improvements could be made to the pool to make it more profitable, such as installing solar panels and a pool cover to bring down heating costs.

They also said the cafe could be let out to a contractor and opened all year round and criticised the lack of marketing of the lido.

And they said the fact the pool was only heated to around 23°C rather than the 30°C at other pools had put off swimmers.

They also criticised closing the pool at lunchtimes and claimed the visitor numbers and figures relating to the revenue generated at the lido were not accurate.

Councillors ruled out the weather as a major factor in the success of failure of the pool, saying if the water temperature was warm and the right facilities – such as a spa and gym – were put in place, it could be an all-year-round facility.

Councillor David Pasley said: "The pool has been a landmark of Portishead for 60 years but over the past several years it has been severely neglected.

"The DC Leisure contract has not been managed effectively and there have been no development plans for the pool.

"There is a real issue with poor management and lack of business acumen.

"We do not want to be remembered as a demolition authority and if we are unable to get our act together, the very least we can do is give the trust the option to run the pool."

North Somerset Council deputy leader Councillor Elfan Ap Rees disputed the pool had been mismanaged and said the contract was monitored regularly and the authority had an "effective partnership" with DC Leisure.

Mr Ap Rees said: "The contractor is responsible for the day-to-day running of the pool and it is North Somerset Council that picks up the tab for major repairs and maintenance.

"DC Leisure does an excellent job running our leisure centres."

Nobody from DC Leisure was available for comment.

A timescale has not been given for discussions on the pool but a final decision on its future is expected before the council sets its annual budget in February.