P-06-1321 Protect leisure centres and swimming pools from closure during the current energy crisis

This petition was submitted by James Candy, having collected a total of 7,687 signatures.

Text of Petition:                    

Swimming pools and leisure centres across the country are under threat as the energy crisis impacts communities across the nation. These facilities provide an essential service for the people of Wales, and are vital to the country's wellbeing.

We, the undersigned, call on the Senedd and Welsh Government to recognise the vulnerability of swimming pools by providing a ring-fenced package of financial aid above and beyond the Final Local Government Settlement to ensure swimming pools remain open.

Additional Information:

40% of council areas are at risk of losing their leisure centre(s) or seeing reduced services at their leisure centre(s) before 31 March 2023

Three quarters (74%) of council areas are classified as ‘unsecure’, meaning there is risk of the closure of leisure centres and/or reduced services before 31 March 2024. (UK Active data: https://www.ukactive.com/news/forty-per-cent-of-council-areas-at-risk-of-leisure-centre-and-swimming-pool-closures-and-restrictions-before-april-without-immediate-support/)

61% of Welsh Primary School children want to swim more (Sport Wales School Sport Survey 2022)

Only 42% of children in Years 3-6 can swim 25m unaided in Wales (Source: Swim Wales Provider Audit, 2022)

Powys council to use cash reserves to keep pools open (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64010393)

80% of Community Leisure UK members are at financial risk (https://communityleisureuk.org/news/sos-plea-to-chancellor/)

234,000 Welsh adults want to swim more (National Survey for Wales 2021).

Status

This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 27/02/2023.

The Committee considered the petition and noted that whilst it’s disappointing that funding will not be ring-fenced for leisure centres, the petitioner found a recent meeting with the Minister helpful and will now focus their ongoing campaign with the UK Government. In light of this Members agreed to close the petition and thank the petitioner for highlighting this important issue.

Full details of the consideration of this petition by the Committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.

It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 27/02/2023.

Senedd Constituency and Region

• Cardiff South and Penarth
• South Wales Central

Further information

• The Petitions Committee homepage
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