News / Jubilee Pool
Council funding to keep Jubilee Pool afloat until 2022
The city council has promised nearly £65,000 to keep Jubilee Pool afloat until March next year, as users look forward to their first post-lockdown plunge next month.
The public swimming pool in Knowle has been shut since the first coronavirus lockdown nearly a year ago.
It will reopen on April 12 if the prime minister’s four-stage ‘roadmap’ for lifting coronavirus restrictions goes to plan, and will stay open until March 2022 with just over £64,800 of cash from Bristol City Council.
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The financial support will mean operator Parkwood Leisure can keep running the pool until its contract ends in 12 months time.
The future of the much-loved pool is uncertain beyond that point, but the council has promised to work with the community to find a long-term solution for its survival.
It released plans to permanently close the pool in August 2020, saying it could not afford to reopen it when coronavirus restrictions allowed.
But it backtracked on those plans following passionate public opposition, and now says it will make a decision on the long-term future of the pool following a public consultation on its emerging strategy for leisure centres.
The developing strategy, which came before the ruling Labour cabinet on Tuesday, March 9, sets out the council’s intention to focus public investment in the local authority’s “flagship” centres in Hengrove, Horfield and Easton.
Mayor Marvin Rees said: “In addition, Bristol South and Henbury have good levels of use and crucially also support areas of deprivation.
“We’re going to look to invest in these centres and look at the future of other sites too, including the possibility of community-led leisure centres where there is support.”
Many campaigned to save Jubilee Swimming Pool. Photo: Jubilee Pool campaign group
The council plans to consult on the strategy in 2021/22.
A cabinet report said: “While community-based options on the future of the pool are explored, it has been agreed with Parkwood Leisure that financial support not exceeding £64,824 net will be provided to enable the pool to reopen until the end of its current contract.
“This will keep the pool viable to enable the outcome of engagement with the community on a longer-term solution.
“With the above in mind a decision on the longer-term future of Jubilee Pool will form part of the wider strategic approach.”
96 per cent of people who responded to last year’s consultation on the pool disagreed with the proposed closure, according to cabinet papers. Three per cent agreed with the proposal while one per cent neither agreed nor disagreed.
Of the 1,826 people who responded to the consultation, most (1,541) gave their postcodes and most of these (85 per cent) were from the five wards closest to Jubilee Pool.
Amanda Cameron is a local democracy reporter for Bristol.
Main photo: Bristol City Council
Read more: South Bristol swimming pool saved from permanent closure again
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