“Many of the facilities run by councils are ageing, particularly swimming pools, and could be updated to better meet the needs of communities and be more energy efficient and cost-effective to run."
Responding to Sport England’s Active Lives Survey, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board, said:
“These figures show that efforts by councils and Sport England to get people active are working.
“Councils are creating opportunities for their residents to be active every day and support campaigns like ‘This Girl Can’ and ‘We are Undefeatable’.
“However, it is important that we also ensure our core leisure offer is maintained for all residents who want to increase their activity levels.
“Many of the facilities run by councils are ageing, particularly swimming pools, and could be updated to better meet the needs of communities and be more energy efficient and cost-effective to run.
“It is therefore important that the Government looks to provide more funding for council-run facilities, in the same way that they have recently made important investments in cultural infrastructure, to ensure that councils can continue to provide excellent facilities and services for their residents.“