People in Peterborough could be struggling to get swimming lessons
It's as the city still has no regional pool
Swimming lessons in Peterborough could be harder to access without the regional pool.
It comes as the GMB union says young people are being left at risk of drowning due to closures of pools across the country.
Research found 500 public swimming pools have closed since 2010.
it leaves young people at risk of drowning
Kevin Brandstatter, GMB national officer, said:
"The Conservatives' grim legacy of austerity has left brutal scars right across society."
"Local authorities being forced to close so many swimming pools is a particularly terrifying example."
"Learning to swim is a basic life skill, splashing in a pool is a fundamental childhood joy - two things being potentially now denied to thousands of youngsters."
"Taken to its extreme, it leaves young people at risk of drowning."
In Peterborough, it was confirmed in mid-2024 that the regional pool would be demolished after asbestos and reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) were found in the building.
The demolition process began in January 2025.
It isn't just children that are missing out on learning the key skill to swim
Morgan Stevenson, from City of Peterborough Swimming Club, said:
"If there are more challenges around, more people are trying to swim; then they're missing out."
"Unfortunately it is a reality with the regional pool shutting."
"It isn't just children that are missing out on learning the key skill to swim; we can see that there are fewer families as a whole, including parents that haven't had that opportunity."
"The plans for the new pool are for a whole leisure facility; it's something that's designed to bring families together, and it's desperately needed."
Plans for a new indoor pool in Peterborough took a step forward following the government’s spending review.