Two swimming pools to close due to funding issues

Two swimming pools in a county are expected to close due to funding issues.

Fanshawe Pool and Gym in Ware, and Leventhorpe Pool in Sawbridgeworth, both in East Hertfordshire, will close on 22 December.

The pools, owned by Chauncy School and Leventhorpe School, respectively, have been run by Everyone Active on behalf of East Herts District Council.

A joint statement said the decision was taken as funding from the Department for Education comes to an end this school year.

Sarah Hopewell, a Green Party councillor and executive member for wellbeing at the authority, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that despite receiving £120,000 of government funding to cover school swimming classes, the pools were running at a "small loss".

A joint statement from the schools, district and county councils and Everyone Active said they would be "willing to revisit" the situation if "significant funding" became available.

Rhys Tom, the team manager of Ware Swimming Club, which uses Fanshawe pool, said its 250 members were now "homeless".

"This is our only home. This is the only place we swim," he said.

"We do 14 hours a week here, all in the evenings, all run by volunteer coaches giving up their own time."

Mr Tom said the club had started an online petition, which had been signed more than 5,000 times.

Josh Dean, the Labour MP for Hertford and Stortford, said: "I completely acknowledge why people are concerned.

"We've had a number of emails into my office, and we've been trying to work collaboratively with the local authority, with residents, with the swimming club at Fanshawe."

However, he said there were "real funding challenges" across the public finances and "there are no easy solutions".

In parliament, Dean asked the Department for Education what funding would be available for schools that had money stopped for leisure facilities.

Janet Daby, the minister for children and families, responded that there may be "exceptional circumstances" funding available for some school leisure facilities in 2025/26.

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