Petitions set to make a splash as Sawbridgeworth battles to save Leventhorpe swimming pool and gym

Two petitions have been launched to save the swimming pool and gym at Leventhorpe School in Sawbridgeworth.

The facilities are set to shut from Monday December 23 after central government pulled the plug on vital funding.

The pool and gym are owned by the Cambridge Road secondary, and East Herts Council (EHC) contributes 60% of the maintenance costs so residents can have access.

There is a similar arrangement in Ware, at Fanshawe pool and gym at Chauncy School, which is also set to close before Christmas. Like Leventhorpe, it relies on funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

Sawbridgeworth Town Council has launched a change.org petition “urgently” calling on the Government to reinstate the financial support.

The petition says: “This decision impacts not only Sawbridgeworth but also the surrounding community, which relies on these facilities for health, wellbeing and community connection.

“Leventhorpe Pool has been a vital resource, benefiting local schools, clubs, families and individuals.

“Many residents have experienced important family memories, such as their children learning to swim, and life-changing health improvements through regular use of this pool, underscoring the essential role these facilities play in strengthening our community and improving physical and mental wellbeing.

“This pool is more than a recreational space; it is a community lifeline where people of all ages come together to exercise, connect and thrive.

“Local schools depend on it for swimming lessons, which are a critical skill for children.

“For many residents – especially children and the elderly – there is no realistic alternative if Leventhorpe closes.”

Labour MP Josh Dean, whose Hertford and Stortford constituency includes Sawbridgeworth, has already tabled a question in the House of Commons to try to resolve the situation.

Resident and pool user David Mascall has also set up a change.org petition. He says: “As someone who grappled with serious weight issues for the most part of my adult life, I owe a significant part of my health transformation to Leventhorpe swimming pool and gym.”

By working out and swimming five times a week, he lost over 50kg (8st).

He said: “Physical diligence isn’t just good for the body; there are also many mental benefits. This was profoundly evident during my weight loss journey. Leventhorpe pool and gym are not just a valuable asset for the fitness benefits, but also for the sense of community they nurture – all of which are under threat.”

Sawbridgeworth’s Cllr Eric Buckmaster, a member of the town, East Herts district and Herts county councils, said on Facebook: “The schools own the pools, which they took over when they became academies. The joint use agreement between the schools and East Herts goes back around 40 years.

“The arrangement is that East Herts [Council] pays 60% of the maintenance costs and the schools 40% based on school hours.

“The funding has been coming from the Department for Education and Skills. With the funding ending, the school could not afford to pay the 40%, which they cannot take from their educational activities.

“East Herts [Council] cannot fund education. I have asked whether there could be a different operating model with reduced hours but the operating costs for heating etc would be the same.”

Cllr Buckmaster urged residents to sign the petitions, so the community’s strength of feeling was evident.

Some residents have questioned why money from developers, secured through planning permission for housebuilding in Sawbridgeworth, was not being used.

Cllr Buckmaster said: “Essentially the only solution is to get the funding back, it is completely separate from previous discussions about Section 106 funding.

“This is about the need to pay the schools’ share for ongoing maintenance costs, which are in the hundreds of thousands a year.”

Everyone Active runs the facilities in Sawbridgeworth and Ware on behalf of EHC. While staff will “be offered redeployment opportunities where practical”, it is anticipated there may be redundancies.

The district council said in a statement: “All current Everyone Active members at both sites will be contacted, as well as local schools and clubs that use the facilities.

“We understand how important and beneficial physical activity is for all aspects of health and will endeavour to work with our partners to ensure, where possible, the provision from both facilities can be moved to alternative locations including Grange Paddocks [in Bishop’s Stortford] and [Hertford’s] Hartham leisure centres.”

If funding can be found, all parties have said they will reconsider the closures.

Mr Dean said he would continue to raise the issue in Parliament: “I acknowledge the challenging financial situation faced by our local councils and the wider shortfall in public finances means there is no easy solution.”