Keep Our Baths Afloat

Public swimming pools are disappearing right before our eyes.

Our local swimming baths have long been places for leisure and fitness, with swimming remaining one of the few activities people can enjoy across their entire lifespan[1]. The decline of these treasured amenities is putting public health, local wellbeing, and social connection at real risk.

For generations, these pools have been where we learnt to swim, spent long summer afternoons, and made lifelong memories, from childhood days with friends to moments shared with grandparents. Once vibrant hubs of community life, these spaces are now steadily sinking, and unless action is taken, more communities will be left without them.

That’s why we’re on a mission to understand why and how fast public swimming baths are disappearing, despite their importance to our health and communities, in a bid to urge the government to take action before it’s too late.

Public swimming baths: A brief history 

Public swimming baths have been at the heart of communities in the UK for centuries, and have become symbols of civic pride and public health. The first municipally‑operated public swimming baths in the country were constructed as early as 1828 in Liverpool[2].

The Victorian era saw a surge in the creation of public baths and washhouses following the Baths and Washhouses Act of 1846[3], which encouraged local authorities to build facilities promoting cleanliness and preventing disease at a time when overcrowding and poor sanitation posed major public health risks.

These baths were more than places to swim; they were community hubs where people could meet, relax, and connect. Today, as ‘third spaces’ become rarer, swimming baths could provide the social connection people crave, yet their decline means fewer opportunities to connect.

The UK loses 23 public baths every year

To understand the scale of the problem, we analysed public swimming bath statistics in the UK from 2013 to 2025, and the results were striking. Our data uncovered that: 

• On average, the UK loses 23 public swimming pools each year.
• 303 public baths have closed down in the past 13 years across the country.
• Public swimming baths typically close when they are 31 and a half years old.
• New swimming bath openings are currently at an all-time low, with 9 openings in 2025, compared to 16 closures in the same year.
• Suspected to be due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 saw the highest closures in a year, with 46 public baths closing across the UK.

Looking forward to 2026, we expect 25 public baths to close this year. Following the same rate of decline,  112 pools will shut by 2030, which is 7% of the UK’s pools. 

Not only do swimming pool closures negatively impact public health, but they also limit opportunities for communities to learn to swim, stay active, and manage stress effectively.

Our data also revealed that the average cost per swimming pool visit has increased by 54% in the past 10 years (compared with inflation rates of 39%), meaning swimming is becoming both less available and less affordable.

The link between swimming bath closures and public health

With public baths closing at an alarming rate, it’s important to remember the countless reasons why these spaces matter. 

Firstly, public swimming baths provide the infrastructure to host swimming lessons, with research showing that these lessons can reduce drowning risk in young children by up to 88%[4].

Moreso, swimming isn’t just a skill; it supports long-term health. It’s low-impact, accessible for all ages, and helps people meet recommended exercise levels. Even just 30 minutes a week can help guard against heart disease, stroke, and type-2 diabetes[5].

Research also shows that over half of UK adults cite stress relief as a main reason that they swim[6]. Swimming helps lower levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and improves the body’s ability to adapt to stress[7]. Since chronic, untreated stress can contribute to insulin resistance and increase the risk of type‑2 diabetes, regular swimming may indirectly help reduce this risk.

To analyse the impact that swimming pool closures may have on public health - specifically on type-2 diabetes cases - we compared our data on bath closures with statistics from Swim England to find that: 

• Based on current increases in type-2 diabetes, we estimate that there will be an additional 172,000 cases by 2035, costing the NHS £177 million. 38,000 of these cases could be prevented by proper swimming infrastructure.
• The closure of a single pool is estimated to cost upwards of £200k annually.
• By 2035, the number of type-2 diabetes cases is expected to reach 30,145, costing the NHS an additional £137.84m between now and then. 
• Scotland faces a projected 20.87% increase in diabetes risk as a result of pool closures, followed by the North East at 19.91% and the North West at 19.30%, making these the regions most affected.

The UK cities with the fastest sinking swimming pools

Based on our analysis, we identified the parts of the United Kingdom with the highest rates of public bath closures since 2015, with Chelmsford coming out on top:

London has lost the largest number of public baths during this time, seeing 67 pools close their doors in the past decade.

Across the United Kingdom, there are, on average, around five swimming pools for every 100,000 people. Manchester has the lowest per capita, with just one pool per 100,000 residents. The top 10 UK areas with the lowest numbers of pools per person are: 

• 1. Manchester: one pool per 100,000 residents

• 2. Southampton: two pools per 100,000 residents

• 3. Birmingham: two pools per 100,000 residents

• 4. Newcastle upon Tyne: two pools per 100,000 residents

• 5. Brighton and Hove: three pools per 100,000 residents

Don’t pull the plug: How you can keep our pools afloat 

There are two practical steps individuals can take to stay active and support community health.

The first is simple: using and supporting local leisure centres, which can help keep them financially viable.

Secondly, we need increased support from the Government and investment from local councils, and partnerships with organisations like the NHS could help secure facilities as part of long-term public health planning. 

That’s why we’ve worked with ukactive to create an MP letter template for the public to use to call upon action, urgency, and support from their MP to protect local pools.

MP Letter Template:

Dear Mr/Ms ____,  

I am writing to highlight the current issues faced by fitness and leisure facilities across the country due to increasing financial pressures, ageing facilities, and rising operational costs, which are forcing many into closure. 

There has been a deterioration of public leisure facilities over the past 15 years. This has particularly affected swimming pools:

• 63% of main sports halls and 60% of swimming pools are beyond their expected lifespans or in need of refurbishment

• 500 swimming pools have been lost since 2010, totalling nearly 35,000 square meters of water space

• Of all the pools lost in this time, 42% has been lost since 2020

Research from ukactive shows that almost a quarter (24%) of councils are at risk of losing their leisure centre(s) or seeing their services reduced. The viability of these facilities is being threatened by rising operating costs for running, given their high energy usage, as well as rising staff costs. 

The rate at which swimming pools are closing is a significant concern for public health. Public swimming pools are an essential public health infrastructure. They enable swimming lessons while also supporting long-term physical activity that helps reduce the risk of conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Moreover, the closure of these facilities is also likely to disproportionately affect deprived communities, where affordable opportunities for physical activity are often limited and demand for public leisure services is highest.

As a member of your constituency in [AREA], I am deeply concerned about the risk that these ongoing challenges pose to local facilities such as [FACILITY/IES]. 

Residents in [AREA] will closely feel the impact if [FACILITY] is forced to reduce its services or close completely. [FACILITY] has provided the local area with an essential in person service and community hub where people can connect, exercise, and get advice about how to be healthier. The value of this to the people of [AREA] is immeasurable. 

Failure to effectively manage the ongoing economic pressures, energy crisis, and the impact it is having on local facilities like [FACILITY] will lead to the loss of essential services that are at the very heart of our communities, and which support some of the most vulnerable members of our society. 

To protect sport and leisure facilities across the country, the Government must commit to increased support, a targeted strategy, and ongoing investment. 

I hope that you will support this issue by bringing urgency and focus to this matter with the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, as well as the wider Government, and support measures to increase funding and investment. At a local level, I urge you to work closely with [FACILITY/IES] and [LOCAL COUNCIL] to ensure it remains open for our community and health. 

Yours sincerely, 

[YOUR NAME]

Although it’s just a small drop in a big pool, every little really does help.

Speaking on the campaign, Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said:

“If the Government is serious about addressing health inequalities and driving economic growth, it must prioritise the health of the nation. Swimming pools, gyms and leisure centres are vital to this ambition, providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to keep active and healthy within their local communities.

“We know that many operators are facing challenges, particularly in relation to swimming pools due to the high energy costs of heating them. Our evidence with Swim England shows 500 pools have been lost since 2010, with almost half lost since 2020. 

“That’s why campaigns like this are so important. We encourage everyone to write to their local MP for support and urge the Government to help protect the future of these essential services."

Methodology:

Data on public swimming baths was collected from National Statistics and reliable third-party sources, including local authority records and sector reports. The dataset covers a ten-year period and includes information at regional, city, and county level, tracking changes in the number of publicly accessible baths over time.

Health data on type-2 diabetes prevalence was sourced from national and regional health statistics for the same geographic areas. This allowed for consistent comparison across regions.

The number of public baths was analysed to identify trends in decline across regions. Percentage change and annual rates of closure were calculated to understand the speed and scale of loss.

Bath's data was then combined with Type 2 diabetes prevalence data at a regional level to explore overlapping patterns between access to public swimming facilities and population health trends.

Using historical rates of decline, we applied linear trend forecasting to project the future availability of public baths. This approach estimates when regions may reach zero public baths if current trends continue unchanged.

The analysis indicates that Scotland, Yorkshire, and the North West are on track to be the first regions to lose all public baths by 2078. Notably, this finding coincides with Scotland showing the highest percentage increase in Type 2 diabetes prevalence, highlighting a potential link between declining access to public physical activity infrastructure and worsening health outcomes.

Sources:
[1] APSE
[2] Baths and Wash Houses Historical Archive
[3] UK Parliament
[4] TIME
[5] AXA Health
[6] Psychreg
[7] Swimming Nature
[8] Diabetes.co.uk