Stoke-on-trent sport and physical activity strategy 2009-2016

Household survey57. The household survey undertaken as background research to the project askedquestions about residents’ use of pools, and their opinions in relation to thequality and quantity. There were some significant variations between differentareas of <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent, as illustrated by the graphs in Figure 7. The final graphshows the relatively low levels of use of swimming pools, which will impact uponthe opinions given on the quality and quantity of these facilities in <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent.58. The results suggest that, with the exception of the Western area, residentsconsider that there is too little pool space, but that most people are satisfied withthe quality of the pools. Although these perceptions appear to be the opposite tothe findings of the theoretical modelling, many of the existing pools, particularlythe school pools, are difficult to access or are unattractive for casual communityswimming. The community consultation results therefore highlight the widerissues associated with the provision of swimming facilities – that they need to beattractive and welcoming, not just ‘open’. The household survey results may alsoreflect one of the findings of the Elected Mayor’s Green Paper for Sport andPhysical Activity, which showed that a lack of information about the facilitieswhich are available is a key issue.59. There appears to be less regular use of pools by those living in the South Eastarea than in the other areas across the City. This may reflect the fact that thelarge number of ageing pools has produced low expectations. Lower swimmingparticipation rates may indicate that people are ‘voting with their feet’ andchoosing to spend their leisure time on something else.Nortoft Partnerships Ltd <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent Page | 114Sport & Physical Activity Strategy 2009-2016October 2009