New analysis reveals that 76% of the publicly accessible water space lost in the past 15 years has disappeared since 2020, highlighting the escalating crisis facing the sector. With increasing financial pressures, ageing facilities and rising operational costs, many more pools and leisure centres are at risk of closure, leaving communities without vital spaces for physical activity and social connection. ukactive and Swim England are urging the Government to provide support for swimming pools and leisure centres as part of the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review and place them at the heart of efforts to support economic growth by reducing the burden of ill health. The bodies are calling for the Government to provide a comprehensive strategy for the future of gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres, that supports their renewal and growth so they can play their fullest role in boosting the economy and reducing health inequalities.
500 swimming pools have been lost since 2010, totalling a massive 34,859 sq metres of water space. Of all the pools lost in that time, almost half (42%) have been lost since 2020. Additionally, of the 10 local authorities who have seen the biggest decline in pool space, 70% have higher than average indices of multiple deprivation, risking exacerbating already stark health inequalities.
Worryingly, according to Sport England’s latest Active Lives Children and Young People survey for the 2023-24 academic year, 30% of children in Year 7 are unable to swim 25m competently, confidently and proficiently, a statistic that has risen from 27% in 2017-18.
