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Swimming to be free by 2012

By Lucy Hutchings on Friday 6 June 2008

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Marie Claire News: Woman swimming

In a drive to make the British public more healthy, the Government is set to announce that public swimming pools will be free for all by 2012.

Charging at 1600 local authority pools will be dropped, and the scheme will begin with free swimming for all under-16s and over-60s. By 2012, swimming is set to be free for all ages, at all council pools and lidos.

The drive is part of a sports review ordered by Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

In the next two years, local councils will have the opportunity to apply for money from a £130 million fund, to initiate the first stage of the sceme, free swimming for the over-60s, which should start by the end of this year.

The initiative will also see funding offered to council's to refurbish the country's pools.

The announcement is due to be made as part of the Olympic Legacy Action Plan, which will be unveiled today. The plan will set a target of getting 2 million people involved in sports by 2012.

Friday 6 June 2008

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What an excellent idea. The sooner the better. I think all ages should benefit from this.
Comment by Carol Johnson on June 06 09:47

Great Idea
It does fustrate me though. The over 60's and under 16's already get it a lot cheaper than everyone else. It also doesn't help those that need it most 20's - 40's who are the ones with the obsiety problems and so they are not targeting the people who need it most!
Comment by Emma on June 06 10:43

Great idea, no doubt about it.

I would however be happy to wager a substantial sum of money that it never actually happens. In the unlikely event that Labour are still in power in 4 years they will quietly forget about it as they will have created a new and improved layer of bureaucracy which needs paying instead. The Conservatives will not be able to afford it because the necesary funds will have been diverted into a variety of companies and offshore accounts and researchers which appear inexplicably to be directly connected to....the Conservatives. Any takers?
Comment by Mark K on June 06 10:58

Who's going to pay?
Comment by Mandy Boylett on June 06 11:03

excellent idea but why wait until then, get it sorted now
Comment by kamala on June 06 12:37

It will help at least keep these petty criminals off the road for awhile, but if Labour is still in power by that time, this dream will be put on hold indefinitely.
Comment by nancy on June 06 13:28

What a good idea, the money is much better spent than on war in Iraq....let's see if it happens!
Comment by shakka on June 06 15:47

Offering free swimming will not help the underlying problem of pool closures and cutbacks.

A number of swimming pools are currently under threat including the Aquasplash in Minehead, St Anne's pool in Fylde near Blackpool, and the Buttershaw school pool in Bradford, which lies in Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe's constituency.

The Building Schools for the Future programme actually includes demolishing most of the existing school pools within the BSF project leaving the school with poorer sporting facilities after millions of pounds have been spent on it!
Comment by Sally on June 06 19:43

This is absolutely ridiculous. Not only will this guarantee the closure of smaller pools in areas where the local authority has little money for sports and leisure facilities as it is, this opens up the newer developed pools such as the Olympic sized pool in Sunderland to long lasting funding issues.
Sounds a good idea on paper but when you work behind the scenes this is another poor idea which will only make swimming less accessible in the long term.
Comment by Andrea on June 07 00:04

Free swimming would be brilliant but it would also be good if the public pools extended their opening hours. One of the pools in my area finishes public swimming at 6pm in order that private clubs can use the pool.
Comment by Doreen on June 07 21:35

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