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Written question asked by Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 25 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 15 April 2026 (named day). It was answered by Stephanie Peacock (Labour) on Wednesday, 15 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.


Leisure Centres and Swimming Pools: Public Sector

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information she holds on the number of publicly-owned swimming pools and leisure centres by year from 2015 to 2025/26.

Answer

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to swimming and leisure facilities.

Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body for grassroots sport, monitors facilities stock through their Active Places dataset. As of March 2026, there are 4,070 operational swimming pools for public access, with 1,669 owned by a Local Authority.

As of December 2025, there were 804 operational sports halls owned by Local Authorities.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
123856
Session
2024-26
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Public sector Swimming pools Leisure centres
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk