Please enable use of London Aquatics Centre for Regional Swimming Competitions

London Aquatics Centre (LAC) could well be the greatest competitive swimming pool on earth and a fantastic legacy from the London 2012 Olympic Games. The LAC is known as “the pool of champions” and yet London Region cannot afford to run regional championships at the pool. Local County swimming associations are similarly excluded due to the extortionately high costs involved.                               

Meanwhile commercial/for profit organisations are able to hire the pool at significantly reduced rates. As such this huge investment of public funds is failing to realise the promised benefits to local communities and sport.

We the undersigned call on the Mayor and the London Legacy Development Corporation to use their powers to require the pool operator to review how discounts are applied for hire of the pool for swimming competition and implement a scheme that allows London Regional Championships to take place at the LAC.

While use of the pool by local clubs is vital the use of the pool by London Region for the purpose of regional championships should take precedence. This would only affect three weekends in the year and bring about benefits for hundreds of Londoners.

The LAC is currently the only Olympic pool in the London Region suitable for high level competition and typically costs organisers in excess of £10,000 per day to use. Due to these costs, in 2022 and 2023 London Region have run multiple Championship events outside of the region at a pool in Crawley a significant distance from London in the county of West Sussex. This pool has been deemed unsuitable for Regional Championship competitions by the South East Swimming Region where it is located. Additionally it is extremely difficult to reach. As swimmers are expected at the pool at 07:30 travel by public transport is particularly difficult when coming from most of the London Region. London Region and others have suggested swimmers hire vehicles or opt for overnight accommodation in the area; two options that are extremely expensive. 

This means that competitive swimming in the London Region is not fair, inclusive or accessible as a result of pricing policy of the LAC.

A change in the hire policy at the LAC would enable more swimmers from all backgrounds in London to participate in competitions. 

The benefits of swimming are well established and we urge you to make these available to all.