Swimming in Randaberghallen is very popular. In the peak year of 2017, a total of 36,000 visitors were registered at the public bathing. There were naturally fewer during the pandemic, but since then the visitor numbers have risen again, and last year passed 30,000.
The background for investigating free public bathing for children is a municipal council decision from December last year. Here, the elected administration asked to investigate free public bathing for children aged 0 to 10, accompanied by adults.
– Although the director of the municipality believes that such free bathing for children is an exciting idea, this measure is not recommended due to assumed high costs, capacity challenges and negative consequences for other user groups, is the conclusion of the report.
This costs the municipality
The municipal administration believes that the proposal for free swimming is exciting, and could increase interest in swimming. At the same time, it has been calculated that it will cost the municipality around NOK 600,000 just in lost ticket revenue to enter into a scheme with free bathing for children.
If you nevertheless choose to provide free swimming for the age group 0-9 years, the municipality recommends compensating Randaberghallen with NOK 850,000. This is both to compensate for lost ticket revenue and the need to further extend the opening hours for public bathing.
The administration nevertheless believed that the municipality, in the current economic situation, should not afford this extra cost.
An alternative could be to reduce the ticket price for all children from NOK 50 to NOK 35 (half of an adult ticket). It would cost the municipality in excess of NOK 200,000. The administration does not recommend doing this either.
It is also pointed out that it could be an alternative to limit lower ticket prices or free bathing only to the residents of Randaberg municipality, but it will be difficult to enforce in practice, it is pointed out.
– Other surveys show that over 50% of the visitors are residents of municipalities other than Randaberg, most of whom come from Stavanger municipality, the case investigation states.
Election promise from the right
It is the Progressive Party and the Conservative Party in particular that have been eager to put in place a free swimming service for children. The two parties had this as one of their election promises before the local elections.
The two parties have previously stated that they want free swimming for everyone under the age of 12, and therefore not for the age group 0-9 years. The two parties have also expressed to Bygdebladet that, until political treatment this week, they would work actively against the other parties to get a majority for free bathing.
This is how it went in the committee
When the matter came up in the main committee for local environment and culture, on Thursday evening, a proposal was quickly made to introduce free public bathing for children.
It was acting committee leader Trond Magne Skjældal (H) who measured the proposal to say yes to free public bathing for children aged 0-9. The proposal means that the scheme will only apply to children living in Randaberg municipality. If the proposal is approved by the municipal council at the beginning of May, it will all start in August, and the scheme must be evaluated by the end of the year.
The proposal received a majority, as only Olav Nybø (V) voted against.
– The municipality will miss out on income that could have been used in the school, among other things to strengthen the teaching staff, or on school swimming, said Nybø, among other things. He also pointed out that the capacity in Randaberghallen is full today, and that it will probably be difficult to separate children who are from Randaberg and children who come from neighboring municipalities. Nybø thus supported the administration’s proposal for a resolution.
Received support from the Center Party
– We in Høyre believe that free public bathing for children is a good initiative, and agree that there should be a scheme for children aged 0-9. We are a municipality that has sea on three sides, and it is therefore important that children get used to being in water. When half of the users of the hall come from outside the municipality, this becomes a limited cost for us, Skjældal said in his post.
Cathrine Amundsen (Sp) said that the Center Party supported the proposal for the Conservative Party.
– We think this is worth a try. This can be something that can even out social differences, and then we get this up for evaluation, she said.
The matter now goes to the municipal council for final consideration. It happens on June 20.
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