Almost 2,000 swimming pools in England could be lost by the end of the decade without urgent Government and local authority action, a new report has warned.
Swim England says pools built in the 1960s and 1970s are coming towards the end of their lifespan and are not being refurbished or replaced at a suitable rate, putting into question whether sufficient quality facilities will be available to both competitive and recreational swimmers in the decades to come.
Team GB enjoyed great success in the pool in Tokyo in the summer, securing a best-ever tally of eight medals made up of four golds, three silvers and one bronze.
But Swim England says that without a £1billion investment to refurbish existing pools and build new ones, there will be a “huge decline” in availability.
It published its report, A Decade In Decline: The Future of Swimming Pools In England, on Wednesday, and its chief executive Jane Nickerson said: “Swimming pools are naturally essential to the future of all our…