Navendu Mishra
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Navendu Mishra (Stockport) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve in this debate with you in the Chair, Mr Efford. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Andrew Pakes) on securing such an important debate. Sadly, the reality is that more than 1,200 swimming pools have been closed since 2010, a net loss of around 500 due to the austerity imposed by the coalition Government and subsequent Conservative Governments.
In Stockport, not only have we lost Reddish baths, but we have serious issues at the Grand Central swimming pool in our town centre. That pool is a valuable asset for the community, and I am concerned by the lack of investment in the facility by the Liberal Democrat-run Stockport council. It is a valuable 50-metre pool. The ability to switch between short-course and long-course swimming provides significant benefits to local swimmers. The pool is essential to the physical and mental wellbeing of many, and we cannot afford to downgrade yet another facility. I am sorry to share that, and I would like the Minister to intervene on this issue if possible, because when I engaged with Sport England, the organisation was less than helpful—I think it should take a better attitude to engaging with MPs.
Reddish in my constituency faces many issues, including health inequalities and a lack of high-quality public facilities. Reddish baths closed in 2005 and the building has stood vacant ever since. For generations, the swimming baths brought the community together, gave young people the opportunity to learn a vital skill and served as a much-loved facility. I am currently running a survey asking residents in Reddish to share their views about the baths, and 86% of respondents placed “swimming or fitness facilities” in their top three preferred future uses for the site. I thank Councillors Rachel Wise and David Wilson for supporting my survey.
I regularly meet people who are frustrated by the lack of provision in Reddish; many respondents to my survey referenced childhood memories, the loss of local pools and frustration at seeing a valuable building left unused. Despite that, Stockport council currently has no firm plans to reopen or reinvest in the baths. Across five facilities, Stockport council has a public supply of 2,648 cubic metres of water. To meet the recommended supply, Stockport would need another 990 cubic metres, so there is clearly a water provision deficit.
Nationally, swimming outcomes are worsening, and that is a cause of serious concern. I recently visited Stockport Metro swimming club at Grand Central to see the performance squads in action. I pay tribute to the dedication of the swimmers and coaches. Stockport Metro continues to be a vital pathway for young people to progress in the sport. Since moving to Grand Central pool, 14 Stockport Metro athletes have qualified for the Olympic games and the club has produced four Olympic medallists, making it the most successful in British history. That is a point of pride and celebration for us in Stockport, and I wish Stockport Metro the best of luck in the upcoming Commonwealth games in Glasgow.
To add to the list, I invite the Minister to Stockport to visit Reddish baths and Grand Central. I want to see the Government engaging constructively with Stockport council to secure the future of facilities in Reddish and our town centre. I am grateful to all staff at Life Leisure in Stockport and everyone who has written to me about these issues, and I place on the record my thanks to Swim England for all its work on the issue.
All of us want high-quality public services in our constituencies, in particular for health, fitness and mental wellbeing. Britain has a rich tradition of producing world-class athletes; if we do not invest in such facilities for people of all ages, that will be lost. I could go on and on, Mr Efford, but I know you are getting uneasy in the Chair, so I will conclude my remarks.