Portishead's open air pool is likely to close for good this Sunday after council chiefs ruled it costs too much money to operate.

A special review panel, set up by the authority to scrutinise the running costs of the seafront attraction, says the level of subsidy the council pays to keep the pool open is no longer sustainable and it should close.

In the report by the panel it claims the authority has subsidised the running costs of the pool, which is operated by management company DC Leisure and opens from May-September, to the tune of £130,000.

The review panel is recommending that the subsidy would be better spent on more important council priorities, including new investment at Parish Wharf Leisure Centre in Portishead.

The pool closes for the 2008 summer season on September 28 and if the executive agree to the panel's recommendations when it meets on October 28, the attraction will remain shut for good.

The site would then be put up for sale, netting the authority an estimated £600,000.

News of the pool's impending closure has been described as a 'body blow' to the Friends of Portishead Open Air Pool Group which launched 12 months to campaign to keep it open.

Tonia Carless, who founded the group but resigned as chairman last month, said: "We are deeply saddened but not surprised at this decision.

"A lot of people put so much work into fighting to keep the pool open just for this decision to be made regardless.

"We fought long and hard to keep the pool open and this is a real body blow not only for Portishead, but for the wider community."

Mrs Carless said she was unsure what would now happen to the Friends group – which has more than 300 members - or what its next step would be.

Mrs Carless added: "I cannot say what the future of the group is or where we go from now.

"But I do worry what will now happen to this part of Portishead and what the site may be used for."

The review panel investigation revealed that the total number of users of the pool, up to September 14, was 7,738 and was not expected to exceed 8,000 by the end of the season.

During the five month review, the panel members visited the pool on several occasions and held a series of meetings with outside bodies including the Friends group to investigate the possibility of setting up an independent trust to take over the pool.

Feedback from the Friends group and other interviews collated indicated that such a route was not feasible, due to the lengthy set up costs and the probability that the pool would still require an ongoing subsidy to keep running.

North Somerset Council deputy leader, Councillor Elfan Ap Rees, who chaired the review panel, said: "The panel has thoroughly examined all the options, but the fact is that the use of the pool is highly weather dependent and is simply too expensive to operate for the few numbers who use it.

"We discovered, for example, that a weekly visit by a regular swimmer could cost the council nearly £300 this year, even more if they held a season ticket and these costs are rising.

"We believe that money would be far better invested in more important council services to benefit a wider range of residents in Portishead and elsewhere."

The panel recommendation, which was unanimous, will now go to a joint scrutiny panel before being presented to the executive.

If approved, negotiations are likely to start with the contractor to upgrade Parish Wharf.