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Fakenham swimming pool petition submitted to parliament by Conservative MP Jerome Mayhew to keep town’s £9.9m levelling-up grant

14:54, 30 October 2024

updated: 15:06, 30 October 2024

A petition for the return of a town swimming pool has been submitted to the government by an MP in his fight for funding.

Jerome Mayhew, the MP for Broadland and Fakenham, stood in the House of Commons last Thursday to ask the government to ‘retain’ its £9.9m levelling-up funding commitment, promised to the town by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in November last year.

The request came as part of a petition launched by Mr Mayhew two months ago after the general election saw uncertainty loom over the grant when the treasury was urged to put it under review to plug what has been described as a budget shortfall.

Jerome Mayhew set up the petition to show how important the project is to the town. Picture: Jerome Mayhew
Jerome Mayhew set up the petition to show how important the project is to the town. Picture: Jerome Mayhew

The campaign has had the support of more than 1,250 people since it was set in motion, something which Mayhew says shows “that local people in Broadland and Fakenham require access to adequate facilities to conduct regular exercise”.

During his speech, the MP also said that there had been limited facilities since the closure of the pool on the town’s former college site some ten years ago.

“The last Government supported the swimming pool with an offer of £9.9m,” he said on social media.

If given the green light, the new pool will be built next to Fakenham Leisure Centre. Picture: Google Maps
If given the green light, the new pool will be built next to Fakenham Leisure Centre. Picture: Google Maps

“Labour has thrown the funding for Fakenham swimming pool into doubt and this petition calls on the Government to deliver on its promise.”

If given the go-ahead, the funding would see the facility built as an extension to the existing leisure centre on Trap Lane and would also give the town a new 3G sports pitch.

The petition is still open, and can be signed here.

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