Funding cuts and threats to the future of swimming pools and leisure centres mean that Ceredigion County Council may not be able to meet targets to encourage healthy lifestyles, with Aberaeron’s swimming pool in “grave danger”, it has been warned.

One of the council’s wellbeing objectives is “working in partnership to promote and foster healthy and active lifestyles” by meeting its vision for sport and physical activity, and working with community groups to ensure leisure facilities in the county are used.

But Cllr Elizabeth Evans, the chair of the co-ordinating overview and scrutiny committee, warned that may be impossible unless leisure facilities receive better funding.

Cllr Evans, who represents Aberaeron, said she feared for the future of the town’s swimming pool, but said the threat to the pool in Aberaeron would be repeated across the county.

She said: “If it’s happening in Aberaeron, it’s happening across the county.

“Aberaeron swimming pool is in grave danger of closing, that would leave the whole of the mid county without a swimming pool.

“We are seeing cut after cut, if Aberaeron pool goes it will be first of many.”

With cuts to funding for school swimming, Cllr Evans said the council would find it difficult to meet its wellbeing objective, especially if there are also threats to leisure centres as a result of funding problems amongst local community groups who have taken over the facilities from Ceredigion council.

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