Catherine has called on the Government to back Newcastle City Council’s bid to redevelop the former West Denton Pool into a brand-new Leisure Centre and provide the necessary funding.

The £22mllion new state of the art, net-zero carbon Outer West Leisure Centre would include a swimming pool, sports hall and gym, as well as a café, library and community space. Not only would it improve health and wellbeing outcomes, but it would also act as an anchor in the local community, attracting more residents to nearby services and playing an important part in rejuvenating the Outer West of Newcastle.

Newcastle City Council has submitted a £18.1million bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. All bids must to have the support of a Member of Parliament and Catherine worked with the Council to develop the proposal and has thrown her full support behind it.

Following the devastating news that the current West Denton Pool would not reopen after lockdown, Catherine has worked with local Labour Councillors in Denton and Westerhope, Callerton and Throckley, Lemington and Newbiggin Hall to try to secure provision on the site, raising the issue in Parliament on a number of occasions. Catherine raised the issue in Parliament here and here.

Catherine has written a supporting letter which can be viewed here.

Catherine commented “I am delighted to give my full support to this application to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. Residents in the Outer West of Newcastle were devastated by the loss of their pool and deserve to have access to modern, high-quality sports and leisure facilities.

“The Government says it is focused on the levelling up agenda and emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic as a healthier country. This bid has the potential to be transformational and support the levelling up of health outcomes, one of the most glaring examples of inequality in this country, so the Government must now put their rhetoric into action by allocating the necessary funding, and give this proposal from Newcastle City Council the support it deserves.

“I will be putting this case to Ministers at every opportunity.”