A Green Party Councillor is challenging the Labour-run City Council to bring back cash payments at Council-run swimming pools, including St Sidwell’s Point and Riverside.
The City Council’s leisure centres went cashless in 2020 due to Covid restrictions. However, a promised Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) to examine the impact of this policy has yet to take place, raising concerns about fairness for residents who rely on cash.
Green Party councillor James Banyard took up the issue after being approached by residents unable to pay for leisure services with cash. He said:
“People should be able to make a splash with their cash. Refusing cash is discriminatory and unfair. The Council pledged to investigate the impact of this policy, but it has never happened.
“Residents have told me that the cashless policy makes it harder—if not impossible—for them to access leisure services. Swimming and leisure activities are vital for health and wellbeing and should be available to everyone, without unnecessary barriers such as registering, giving an email address and only paying by card. It seems obvious that the Labour-run City Council should accept cash payments.”
According to the latest figures from the Financial Conduct Authority [1], around 1.1 million adults in the UK remain unbanked, and many rely solely on cash to manage their day-to-day finances.
Councillor Banyard added:
“Not taking payments in cash disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including older residents, and individuals with limited access to digital payment methods. There are also people in the city who don’t have bank accounts. I’m calling on the Labour-run City Council to reinstate a cash payment option at all Council-run leisure facilities.”
Councillor Banyard is also calling on the Council to conduct the long-overdue Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) to assess the barriers faced by cash-reliant residents and commit to an inclusive payment system for all Council services to ensure fairness for all residents. He has tabled a question on this issue to the Customer Focus Scrutiny Committee this Thursday, 28 November.