Public pools in Aylesbury and Buckingham could benefit from new £63m government funding pot

Aqua Vale Swimming & Fitness Centre in Aylesbury and the Swan Pool & Leisure Centre in Buckingham could benefit from a new £63 million pot of government money announced today.

As part of his Spring Budget, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt will announce £63 million of new money to be made available to leisure centres with pools in a one-year fund.

There are more than 2,000 public leisure centres in England, over 800 of which have pools. But there have been fears some may need to close or reduce opening hours due to rising costs.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt said: “Soaring bills are hitting us all hard, and community pools have been thrown in the deep end. I know they are loved by millions of people. This vital lifeline will keep them afloat.”

Leisure centres with swimming pools, many of which were built in the last century, are responsible for up to 40 per cent of local authority carbon footprints, due to the need for pools to be heated to safe temperatures.

The campaigning group UKActive estimates that 31 per cent of local authorities in England could close or reduce leisure services within the next year, if the sector does not receive support.

Of the £63 million announced today, over £20 million is being made available in grants to leisure centres with pools facing immediate cost pressures, while £40 million will be available for investment in decarbonisation and long-term energy efficiency.

Applications for funding must be made by local authorities, with Sport England managing the process. Funding will be awarded following a competitive bidding process.

Council-run pools, and pools run on behalf of councils by private companies and charities are also eligible for support. This should include Aqua Vale and the Swan Pool, which are run by Everyone Active on behalf of Bucks Council.

Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of Sport England said: “This is a significant and welcome amount of support from the government that will offer a lifeline to many public leisure centres across England as well as help sustain them into the future.

“Swimming pools play a vital role in our communities and are enormously important in helping people to be physically active in their daily lives.

“We know how difficult the present situation is and have been working hard to ensure these providers get the support they need. We’ll now turn our efforts to supporting the process in the weeks ahead to distribute the funding made available today to ensure it goes where it is needed the most."

Jane Nickerson, CEO of Swim England, said: “We welcome this intervention, which is an important recognition of the incredibly challenging situation currently facing swimming pools and their value to local communities.

“The financial support announced will undoubtedly make a difference for a number of vulnerable pools as they battle with increased energy costs.

"We will continue to monitor the situation going forward and seek to work with the government to put swimming pools on a sustainable long-term footing to support the health and wellbeing of the nation.”