Gwynedd Council has welcomed the announcement by the Welsh Assembly Government that the Friends of Harlech Swimming Pool are to receive £300,000 of funding from the Assembly Government’s Community Facilities and Activities Programme.
This news is the final piece in the jig-saw which will allow the Council to transfer ownership of the much-loved public facility to the local community group.
Last year, Gwynedd Council’s Board voted to transfer the Harlech swimming pool to the local group, provided that the team effort to secure the necessary funding was successful. Since then, Gwynedd Council officers have been working tirelessly with the community group in Harlech to make their dream a reality.
Gwynedd Council Leader, Councillor Dyfed Edwards, said:
“This is fantastic news. Harlech residents told us that they wanted to see their swimming pool remaining open and I am delighted that all the hard work and perseverance has finally paid off.
“The success of this project shows what can be achieved when local people and Gwynedd Council, and the Welsh Assembly Government work together to find new solutions, and I’m sure that what has been achieved in Harlech will serve as a model for other community initiatives across Wales.
“Despite the huge financial pressures facing us, I am pleased that Gwynedd Council has been able to keep Harlech Swimming Pool open for the interim period to give the local committee the time they needed to work on their business plans and to secure the necessary grant funding.”
