Council leaders have urged ministers to ensure the £400m announced in the Spending Review for grassroots sports is targeted towards leisure centres and swimming pools.
Chair of the Local Government Association's culture, tourism and sport board, Liz Green, said: ‘For this funding to be truly transformative, we are calling for this to be invested via councils so it can have the impact that delivers the ambition the Government has to improve our nation's health.'
Chair of Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association, Donna Pentelow, added: ‘By directing grassroots sports funding through local government, we can support its appropriate use to truly tackle health inequalities and deliver on the Government's long-term health ambitions.'
Since 2010, more than 500 swimming pools have been forced to close and nearly a quarter of council areas are now facing reductions in leisure services due to soaring energy prices and unsustainable operational costs.
