1. Consultation on Northbrook Swimming Pool (closed)
Councillors have agreed an adjustment in the council’s leisure budget which may impact users of Exeter’s Northbrook Swimming Pool.
The leisure service is heavily subsidised by the council, at a cost of around £1.2 million per year, to help improve the health and wellbeing of all residents in Exeter.
The council will continue to invest heavily in leisure, and most services will continue as normal.
At the budget-setting meeting on 28 February, Council backed a £3.5 million package of measures necessary for the authority to set a balanced budget for the next financial year.
As a result, a consultation will now take place on Northbrook Swimming Pool, and we will assess the impact of closing the facility.
The facility has had a consistently low membership base of members.
Despite extensive efforts to increase the membership base since the facility was brought back under the direct control of the council in 2020, there has been little improvement in numbers.
The low membership and the resulting lack of income has impacted its long-term viability.
Combined with projected increases in repair and on-going costs to maintain the building, it has now become necessary to consult over the closure of the pool.
This consultation has now closed.
The consultation that took place for 6 weeks between 11 March and 22 April 2025 has helped us to assess and better understand the impact of closing the facility on people that regularly use the pool and live in the local community.