Publicly-owned, local leisure centres are set to receive a multi-million-pound boost tomorrow as part of the Spring Budget, but only if they have a swimming pool.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer will announce a £63m fund, which will be managed by Sport England, to help publicly-owned swimming pools cope with the increasing energy bills and maintenance costs.
There are more than 2,000 public leisure centres in England, over 800 of which have pools.
Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth 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.’
Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, chair of the Culture, Tourism and Sport Board at the Local Government Association (LGA), commented: ‘We are pleased the Government has recognised the importance of our public pools to the nation’s health, our communities, and the safety of our children.
‘Councils and pool operators have worked hard to keep them open for as long as possible in the face of rising energy costs but have been warning that without investment we would have seen a large number of closures. This funding will enable us to keep doors open, and also continue the transformation of our pools to an energy efficient future that offers a lasting legacy for communities.
‘We look forward to working with the Government and Sport England to ensure support reaches all those in need.’
