Agenda item

(1) Future of Swimming Pools in North Somerset: Councillor Keating (attached)

(2) Planning and Regulatory Committee - Membership and Procedures: Councillor Shopland (attached)

In introducing his Motion, Councillor Keating referred to the importance of undertaking a strategic assessment of swimming pools and to seek to identify additional funding, referring to the vital community asset they provided as well as the climate emergency benefits of refurbishing them.

Motion: Moved by Councillor Keating and seconded by Councillor Hogg

“Council recognises the vital role swimming pools play in our local community. Swimming pools are community hubs where people of all ages come together for fun, fitness and sport.

It is estimated that the enormous benefits swimming brings to people’s physical and mental health saves NHS and Social Care services more than £357 million each year across the UK. The benefits of physical activity on wellbeing are recognised in North Somerset’s own recently adopted Health and Wellbeing policy. 

Council reaffirms its commitment to providing top class swimming facilities in North Somerset.

Council notes with concern the report published by Swim England in September 2021 – A Decade in Decline: The Future of Swimming Pools in England – which warns that, without proper investment and refurbishment, up to 2000 swimming pools could be lost across the UK over the next decade. 

Many swimming pools in North Somerset are coming towards the end of their lifespan, while others such as that at Churchill Sports Centre have been indefinitely closed due to historical lack of investment and the impact of the Covid pandemic. 

Council also notes that Leisure centres can account for as much as 40 per cent of a council’s direct carbon emissions. New or refurbished pools are much more sustainable (both economically and environmentally) than those left unimproved and can play a key part in meeting our climate change ambitions.

Council resolves to adopt the recommendations contained in Swim England’s ‘Future of Swimming Pools in England’ report to:

•  Undertake a Strategic Needs Assessment to identify the investment needed to improve existing swimming pools in North Somerset to avoid a future shortfall in the provision of local swimming facilities. 

•  Bid for full Government funding for the refurbishment works that are identified (and for new pools if required). 

•  Council further instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to demand that the full £1 billion of grant funding recommended in Swim England’s report is made available to local authorities to refurbish and expand their swimming pool provision. As part of this funding grants should also be made available to support local authorities to undertake full strategic needs assessments of their local swimming provision.”

Seven members signalled their support for a debate on the Motion. 

Councillor Keating spoke in support of his Motion.  In discussing the Motion reference was made to the costs associated with running and maintaining swimming pools, the need to ensure they were self-financing and the significant investment required in pools such as Churchill to bring them back into use.  Members noted the importance of children learning to swim, particularly in a coastal area like North Somerset and to the importance of having full community backing to make a success of any proposals.  Reference was made to the problem with the location of Churchill swimming pool on the edge of the village, and to the benefits of making it more prominent, of promoting healthy lifestyles to encourage its wider use both within and beyond the village and of seeking support from partners such as the university to make it more viable.  Members supported the need for government funding and long term investment to enable councils to refurbish and expand existing swimming pool provision.

It was noted that the Place Panel was in the process of scrutinising the thirteen pools across the district.  A consultation with town and parish councils and local communities was being undertaken to assess support for the proposals which would then come back to the Panel for further consideration.  It was noted the timescale for town and parish council responses had been tight and that an extension to the consultation period may be required. 

Councillor Keating thanked members for their support and welcomed the review of swimming pools currently being undertaken by scrutiny.  As the mover of the Motion, he agreed to take on board the proposal to allow the scrutiny review to conclude, with town and parish councils being fully engaged, and to await its outcome before further pursuing the recommendations in his Motion.

Following further discussion, it was 

Resolved: that, subject to the conclusion of the current scrutiny review of swimming pools and its subsequent recommendations, the Motion as set out in full above be approved and adopted.