Immediate funding needed to secure future of libraries and leisure centres, argues Senedd committee

Immediate and long-term funding is needed to secure the future of leisure centres and libraries across Wales. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

That is the view of the Senedd’s Local Government and Housing Committee, which has released the outcome of its inquiry into the financial stability the sector. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

It comes after local authorities have been forced to reassess the services they provide against a backdrop of austerity, a global pandemic, rising inflation and both historic and looming budget cuts. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Locally leisure facilities are operated on behalf of Wrexham Council by Freedom Leisure, excluding Plas Madoc, which has been operated by a trust since 2014 following threats of closure. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The Acrefair based leisure centre was visited by committee members, who were told that the energy crisis was “crippling” the charity. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Although libraries and leisure centres provide an “enormous amount of benefit to people’s health and educational wellbeing”, the committee argued that this is not always recognised or appreciated by the Welsh government or local councils. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Libraries leading the way ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Libraries not only allow people to borrow books, but are also places where people can access a computer, gain work skills by improving their CV, and join community classes. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

During its inquiry the committee heard evidence that the ‘social value’ of libraries for providing these services meant that, for every £1 spent, they could deliver £8.75 worth of value in preventing many of the problems that cost society – and the public purse – in other ways. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The committee has recommended the creation of a Libraries Taskforce as a way of ensuring that the benefit of libraries becomes more widely known, and that libraries themselves could learn from each other about the best way to run services. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

At present, there is no national body to lead public library development in Wales. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Sink or swim? ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Rising inflation and the cost of living crisis has led to soaring energy bills for leisure centres with heated pools. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The sector was excluded from the the UKGovernment’s Energy Bills Discount Scheme, leaving leisure centres at the mercy of increased energy costs. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

There has also been a drop in the number of people accessing leisure centres – which has coincided with the cost of living crisis and a rise in fees to access pools. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Swim Wales told the Committee that, pre-pandemic, around 500,000 people in Wales were using swimming pools every week. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The Committee heard that only 50% of the 1,600 plus primary schools in Wales take part in school swimming lessons, which is not a mandatory requirement. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Swim Wales also  told the Committee that the average swimming lesson pre-pandemic cost £6.50. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

However post-COVID this has increased to £12.50 – a rise that has hit children from lower-income families and those living in more deprived areas particularly hard. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The Committee is calling for the Welsh Government to do more to ensure that all primary schools are able to offer free swimming lessons to pupils so that children do not miss out. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

It is also urging ministers to provide additional funding to help leisure centres off-set the rising costs of energy. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The committee argues that this could help leisure centres with their spiralling energy bills and the money would come as a result of £63m in funding recently announced by the UK Government earmarked to be spent on swimming pools in England. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Road to Net-Zero ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The report also finds that current efforts to make leisure centres and libraries more energy efficient don’t go far enough. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Despite the Welsh Government providing some funding for buildings to be upgraded and made greener, the Committee was told that this money is not enough if they are to decarbonise their buildings by 2030. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The report urges the Welsh Government to develop a long-term strategy with substantial funding, as well as short-term solutions, to help leisure and library services towards decarbonisation. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

John Griffiths MS, Chair of the Local Government and Housing Committee, said: “The situation facing many of our leisure and library services is concerning. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“Budget cuts are causing great difficulty, and this situation needs to be addressed before it gets worse. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“But we cannot pretend that this is a problem that can be solved quickly. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“Long term thinking – and funding – will be required if we want to keep these vital public services going. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“We know the huge amount of social value that libraries and leisure centres add to our communities. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“From computer classes to sports lessons, these places actually save money in the long-run by keeping us happier and healthier. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“The funding they receive should match their contribution to society.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​