SWIMMERS will be left with only one public pool in York for almost three months this summer after the timeframe for a revamp of one baths was extended.

Long-awaited improvements to Yearsley Pool, off Haxby Road, will get under way at the start of July and are due to take 12 weeks to complete - up from an earlier timetable of eight weeks.

A planning application for the work has been submitted to planners by City of York Council and is due to be rubber-stamped in the next fortnight.

The £500,000 improvements - using some of the cash from the sale of the Barbican site - will see a new roof fitted at the building and major repairs to its plant room and walls.

The schedule for building work has been extended to allow a revamp of the pool's showers to take place - something which had earlier not been included in the plans.

Labour leader Coun Dave Merrett welcomed this news but said he was concerned about the length of time Yearsley would be out of action.

He said: "I welcome this small improvement but I am very concerned about the increased closure time, which effectively means there is only one public swimming pool for the whole of the summer holidays in York.

"Certainly I would want councillors to press officers to see if they can produce an accelerated timetable to minimise the closure period."

The work was originally planned during the summer holiday to avoid disruption to children's swimming lessons. It means only the Edmund Wilson pool will be available for use during that period.

Coun Keith Orrell, executive member for leisure and culture, said the decision to press ahead with the revamp meant the future of the pool was now safe.

He said: "I am sure users of Yearsley will be delighted that the future of the pool is now secure."

Coun Orrell also announced that the renovated pool will have energy-saving features that will allow its heating costs to be cut by more than half.

He said: "As with all projects, we have tried to get improvements to the environmental sustainability of the building and it is therefore very exciting that we will be able to reduce the energy use by over 50 per cent. There will, of course, be a financial saving because of the reduction in energy use."