Local AMs Furious Free Swimming Ditched at 'LC'

Andrew Davies AM for Swansea West, Val Lloyd AM for Swansea East and Edwina Hart AM for the Gower have launched a furious attack on Swansea Council for admitting that the highly popular free swimming for all 60+ and for children during the school holidays will likely not be available at the new Leisure centre.

In a letter to Val Lloyd AM Swansea Council write:

“That the LC (Leisure Centre) would not be suitable for the free Swimming Imitative as it will primarily be a fun filled water attraction and not suited for the Free Swimming Imitative.
Should Free Swimming be included at the LC then it is probable that it will become extremely costly to the Council and it may not fulfil the criteria of…. swimming and physical activity”.

Val Lloyd, Andrew Davies and Edwina Hart said:

One of the most successful Welsh Assembly Government initiatives has been free swimming for +60 and children during school holidays.

It was a key manifesto promise by the elected Assembly Government to encourage young and old alike to keep fit and healthy for free.

Swansea Council has shown once again that the devil is in the detail and that the new swimming pool at Swansea Leisure Centre will not fulfil the criteria of ‘swimming and physical exercise’.

The truth is that the Council are desperate to save money any way they can following a series of financially damaging blunders including the massive £82 million wasted on a useless IT service.

They continued:

For the council to argue that as a “fun filled water attraction “they must charge everybody is a misleading excuse. The Afan Lido in Aberavon is also a Leisure Pool, Neath and Port Talbot local authority however have no hesitation in honouring the free swimming initiative from the Assembly.

.We urge the Council to withdraw their mean spirited approach and honour the Welsh Assembly Government pledge for free swimming for the over +60 and children during school holidays.

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