Public Baths and Lidos
Debate between Sam Rushworth and Andrew PakesWestminster Hall is an alternative Chamber for MPs to hold debates, named after the adjoining Westminster Hall.
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Andrew Pakes
I wholeheartedly endorse my hon. Friend’s comments. It is not just the fact of having a lido: it is about the community and volunteer spirit that builds around it, which adds something greater than just a pool.
Peterborough is a working city. The lido was built in an era of recession and global uncertainty and it represented an important investment in public health in our city. Today, on its 90th anniversary, we face similar shadows: a decade of austerity and cuts for public services and local government; a world facing anxiety; and families still worried about living costs. Since its opening in 1936, Peterborough lido has remained a constant feature in our city. It has withstood many changes: changes in management, bomb damage during world war two, multiple threats of closure and demolition, and, most recently, the covid pandemic.
Why does it matter? It matters because swimming and the public good go together. No only did we nearly lose our lido, but two years ago the Conservative council closed our only public indoor pool as well. We are now the only one of the top 10 fastest growing cities in the country without an indoor public pool. I am glad that the new Government have listened, and, thanks to the work that I helped lead, the Chancellor has provided £20 million through the growth mission fund so that we can now have both a majestic lido and a new indoor pool, which is being built.
Sam Rushworth (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)
I want to thank my hon. Friend for his speech that he is making and for bringing this matter to the Chamber. I am greatly enthused by what he has achieved because every time I visit Stanhope, I know that it is a great source of sorrow for people that our lido closed during covid and has never reopened. Likewise, if I am in Crook, the No. 1 thing that people raise with me is the loss of the swimming baths about 10 years ago. Those are two areas where I am working with people and hoping that we can bring those services back. This is something that my hon. Friend has achieved, thanks to the funding from the Labour Government. I would love to hear more from him about that and hear how he and his community have been successful in that campaign.