The Committee received a report sets out the findings and seven recommendations from the Scrutiny Challenge Session on swimming provision in the Borough.  A summary of the discussion including the points raised by Members questions may be summarised as follows:

The Committee:

v  Noted that Covid-19 Pandemic has highlighted the challenges that residents face with accessing local swimming pools. It also magnified local health inequalities with children in Tower Hamlets more likely to be overweight or obese at year 6 than in London or England.  Compliance with Covid-19 safety measure such as shielding or self-isolating has acted as a catalyst to an increase in loneliness, sedentary lifestyle and a lack of regular physical activity and exercise.

v  Observed that Swim England suggests that a single 25 metre pool can generate £7.2 million in social value in community savings and also save the NHS and social care more than £1.2 million. They have also warned that nationally 90% of 7- to 11- year-olds are failing to meet minimum standards that have been brought in for swimming lessons outside of school. Swimming is considered as an essential life skill that, in extreme circumstances, can make the difference between life and death and moreover, it provides a means to rehabilitate people who have been injured aiding their recovery.

v  Noted that some of the Leisure Centres are over 40 years old the costs had escalated because of the lack of investment in refurbishment over the years and the local resident felt that the local pools are not properly managed or  maintained.  Whilst ongoing reductions in the Council budget has impacted further on the sports and physical activity service.  Therefore, the report asks that the Mayor reviews the budget so that swimming provisions can be accommodated and some of the key barriers faced by schools is addressed e.g. headteachers commented that accessing swimming includes travel time and it's very important that swimming pools are near to schools so that pupils actually do not lose learning time e.g. it can take about three to four hours for children from Wapping to go to Poplar and back which is far too long.

v  Noted that the report recommends that: (i) the Council develops a long-term capital investment strategy for leisure centres to ensure that they can be maintained to good standard, including where major refurbishments are needed; (ii) Greenwich Leisure should look at how currently schools could be helped to without travel. Oh provision at the moment and you know whilst they're going to, the two pools are open.

v  Noted with disappointment the Scrutiny Panel had not been provided with the Leisure Centre review on assets that had been conducted and it is very hard to comment on that review at the moment.

v  Concerned that that each time it was recommended that urgent repairs should be carried out at a leisure centres they had not been undertaken. Therefore is this the same at all the Boroughs other leisure centres?

v  Concerned to learn that the Scrutiny Panel was not involved in the consultation on the procurement of new leisure contract.

v  Wanted to know how the Council engage with residents who do not go online and look at the Council website.

v  Concerned that there had been a lack of investment in the leisure centres accept if there had been an emergency.

v  Noted that some of the swimming teachers working at the Borough’s leisure centres are absolutely brilliant at what they do, they work hard to encourage children to learn and they are fully engaged and instil enthusiasm in their pupils. However, during the scrutiny session there were some issues raised about cleanliness of the changing rooms in leisure centres  and the temperature of the pools.

v  Commented that the Council's own monitoring of the performance around cleanliness is something that (i) councillors need to scrutinise; (ii) officers responsible should be alive to; and (iii) GLL need to explain why they are apparently underperforming.

v  Agreed that whilst it was happy to sign off on this report the conversation on performance needs to continue alongside the Scrutiny Challenge Session report

Accordingly the Overview and Scrutiny Committee formally::

1. noted the Overview and Scrutiny Challenge Session Report and agree the recommendations contained within the report; and
2. agreed to submit the report to the Mayor and Cabinet for an executive response to the recommendations.