Philip Dunne MP for South Shropshire welcomed new funding to support local leisure centres with swimming pools. The Government confirmed in today's Budget £63 million of funding to help publicly owned leisure centres with swimming pools through the financial pressures they face from high energy costs this year.

The fund will be managed by Sport England and will allow local authorities to apply for funding for leisure centres with pools that face immediate cost pressures including operational and maintenance costs, especially energy bills.

The fund aims to help these facilities become more energy efficient, with £40 million of the fund made available for investment in decarbonisation and long-term energy efficiency, while £23 million will help with costs to make these essential local hubs more energy efficient. Council-run pools, pools run on behalf of councils by private companies and by charities are all eligible for support.

Philip Dunne MP for South Shropshire said:

“I welcome this financial life saver from the Government to support local leisure centres with swimming pools, who have been very concerned that they might not be able to afford to open this summer.

“Our public pools here in South Shropshire play a vital role in help young and old keep fit and have fun, especially as we move into Spring and Summer months.

“I shall work with Shropshire Council and our leisure centre operators to ensure they engage with Sport England to secure whatever support is available."

More information on how local authorities can apply for funding and detailed eligibility criteria will be made available in due course.