Nearly a thousand public swimming pools in England have closed in the last 16 years, Mirror analysis has found. Some 915 leisure centres have closed their doors since 2010, leaving 10 areas without any public baths at all. In a further 126 voting areas, just one pool serves thousands of locals.
The findings come after at least 35 people lost their lives to drowning this summer – a record high. Vanessa Abbess, whose son Joe, 17, died in a rip current off Bournemouth beach in 2023, said: “As a drowning bereaved mum, I feel it is imperative that everyone has the opportunity to learn to swim and practice in a safe and lifeguarded environment.”
Campaign for safer waters
Abbess added: “The closure of public pools and therefore the loss of this opportunity to gain life saving skills is shocking. Drowning is preventable and needs to be treated by the government as a public health emergency. Anyone can drown, but no one should.”
In June, the Mirror launched the Save Lives for Sam campaign to make waters safer for everyone. It has been backed by MPs, Olympic champions, national water safety organisations and bereaved families.
Constituencies without pools
Among constituencies without swim facilities is Dewsbury and Batley, West Yorks. The area’s pool and sports centre shut in 2024 after the discovery of RAAC concrete, and there is no sign of a replacement. It is a similar story in London’s Croydon South, where the only pool has been closed since 2020. In west Bradford, west Yorks, the 127,000-strong population is served by just one pool after the Reform council scrapped plans to reopen a second facility this summer. The worst year for closures was 2020, when 84 public pools were permanently lost.
Call for government investment
Rebecca Cox, Interim Chief Executive at Swim England, branded the situation a “tragedy” and called on the government to intervene. She added: “It has never been more important for the government to provide the investment needed to build the network of sustainable pools the country needs for the future. Recent tragic incidents of drowning have reinforced just how important it is that everyone can access a pool to learn to swim and get the skills and knowledge to be safe in, on and around the water.”
Simon Haycock, whose son Sam was 16 when he drowned in Ulley Reservoir in Rotherham, South Yorks, in 2021, issued a heartfelt plea for the government to deliver on the Save Lives for Sam campaign in his son's name. He said adopting the changes would mean he could sleep better at night knowing he had made a difference.
In response to an open letter from parents, Prime Minister Mr Burnham said: "No parent should ever have to go through what Vanessa and Simon have been through. My thoughts are with them, and with every family who has lost someone they love to drowning. I want to thank them, and the Mirror, for turning their grief into a campaign that will help keep other people's children safe."
The Mirror launched the Save Lives for Sam campaign after a horrifying spate of drownings in May. At least 19 people lost their lives in open water during the heatwave that month, including 13 children. The Royal Life Saving Society warns that 90% of accidental drownings in the past five years have taken place in open water. It is estimated that more than 30 children drown each year in open water - and if hotter temperatures become the norm, experts fear it could climb.
A government spokesperson said: “We recognise the important role that swimming pools play at the heart of so many communities, providing a space for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. We’ve committed £400 million to transform sports facilities, including public leisure, over the next four years and are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need to get active. We will provide further details in due course.”
