Swimming club warns it may close due to pool hire charges

A decision which means a swimming club has to pay the same pool hire rate as those using larger pools has been defended by a senior councillor. 

Chepstow Swimming Club had warned it could be forced to close over increased pool hire charges, with the only concession offered to reduce costs focused on cutting pool time. 

The not-for-profit club has previously said it provides the council with around £25,000 a year in guaranteed private hire income. 

The club is based at the town’s leisure centre, which like nearby Caldicot, only has a 20 metre long pool while Monmouthshire County Council’s other centres, at Abergavenny and Monmouth, have 25 metre pools. 

Councillor Christopher Edwards, who represents Chepstow’s St Kingsmark ward, raised the issue at the authority’s March meeting when he asked why the club is “being treated unfairly”. 

But that was disputed by the Labour cabinet member responsible, Magor East with Undy member Angela Sandles. 

She told him: “I’m not sure I can agree some leisure centres are being treated unfairly.” 

Cllr Sandles said the council’s fees and charges framework is reviewed annually and said all four centres offer slightly different programmes. 

“Despite the differences the council continues to significantly subsidise leisure centres, including swimming pools, to keep them affordable for residents and clubs and all fees increases are significantly lower than rising costs for operating leisure centres.” 

She added the council would continue to work with all local sports clubs and swimming clubs to support them in the long term. 

But Conservative Cllr Edwards said it isn’t “equitable” residents should pay the same as those using a larger pool. 

He said residents pay the same across the county for garden waste collections and said: “Just imagine the public outcry if bins in the north were bigger?”  

Cllr Sandles replied said the council had tried to offer Chepstow Swimming Club “different packages” and said she could provide further detail to Cllr Edwards but said his question had been explored by officers in the past. 

Chepstow Swimming Club had previously said reducing its pool time would weaken development as well as access for children and “shrink” the club.