Ward Freman closure: Frequently Asked Questions

The decision to close the swimming pool at Ward Freman is not one that has been taken lightly. All parties involved have jointly come to this conclusion due to the significant investment required to meet essential standards. While the closure has now become necessary for health and safety reasons, we are continuing to investigate options that would enable the pool to reopen in the future.

The pool will close from Saturday, 23 December 2023, while options for its future operation are assessed.

Unfortunately, neither East Herts Council nor Hertfordshire County Council are in a position financially to invest the amount of money needed to bring the centre up to standard. 

In 2018, the council agreed a comprehensive leisure strategy, designating Grange Paddocks and Hartham as flagship district-wide leisure centres. These centres are intended to cater not only to Bishop’s Stortford and Hertford, but also to neighbouring towns and villages, in line with Sport England's recommended travel times. With the significant energy and running costs involved in maintaining swimming pools, those in larger towns are better able to cover their costs due to higher usage rates and the presence of additional revenue-generating facilities that can support the pool’s operation when necessary. 

We will continue to work with Hertfordshire County Council, and the local community, to explore potential community-led solutions for the operation of Ward Freman in the future.
 

The council has carried out a rolling programme of improvements works at Ward Freman, managing them within existing budgets. However, given the pool’s age, many of these issues now require significant investment to fully resolve.

The facility requires significant modernising and repair. Recently, this has resulted in operators, Everyone Active, formally raising their concerns as to the health and safety of the pool – which we, in turn, have shared with Hertfordshire County Council. Everyone Active have been implementing several short-term solutions to mitigate the known risks. The minimum improvement works to bring the pool up to a safe standard include pool filtration and pool tank works.

We want to reassure all our school, casual swim, and swimming lesson users that Everyone Active will be communicating with you in the next few days. We understand how important your swimming routine is, and Everyone Active will be providing alternative options at various sites, including Hartham, Fanshawe, Grange Paddocks, and Stevenage.

All staff at Ward Freman will be offered redeployment opportunities.