Keep gyms open during Tier 4 lockdown
180,171 people signed this petition to the UK Parliament after it opened on 21 December 2020; it closed on 21 June 2021. The Government responded on 14 January 2021. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 22 March 2021.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Keep gyms open during Tier 4 lockdown
Consider keeping gyms open during lockdown because so many people have mental health and stress and they need something to do to take their mind off it closing all fitness facilities can affect us pretty badly.
With all the lockdowns happening it's affecting our mental health with everything closing and we need some kind of fitness to do considering there is a lot of people going through stress and we need to stay occupied.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 14 January 2021; the petitions site lists the Cabinet Office as responsible. Its summary:
Sports facilities are crucial for adults and children to stay active. That’s why we have continued to make sure that people can exercise throughout the national and local tiered restrictions.
The response in full:
The importance of sport and physical activity for the nation’s physical and mental health has never been more apparent. They are a powerful defence against the covid-19 pandemic, and we will need to raise levels of fitness among the population as we prepare to return to our normal lives, now the vaccination programme has begun.
No government would want to be in a position of needing to close gyms. They give enormous health benefits and are large employers. We could not though allow the healthcare system to be overwhelmed so we were required to introduce the current national lockdown.
The National Restrictions are designed to get the R rate under control through limiting social contact and reducing transmissions. All decisions made by the Government relating to the pandemic and sport, including the closure of gyms, have been based on advice from health and scientific experts.
You can though continue to exercise alone, with one other person or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area. You should maintain social distancing.
You can exercise in a public outdoor place which include:
● parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests,
● public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them),
● the grounds of a heritage site,
● Playgrounds.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 885, came from Dundee West.
180,068 of the signatures were from the UK and 103 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Dundee West | 885 |
| Dundee East | 797 |
| Dunfermline and West Fife | 737 |
| Aberdeen South | 705 |
| East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow | 700 |
| Rhondda | 666 |
| Edinburgh South West | 646 |
| Gordon | 635 |
| Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath | 632 |
| Salford and Eccles | 607 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 28,747 |
| Scotland | 26,825 |
| North West | 21,244 |
| London | 16,725 |
| East of England | 16,397 |
| West Midlands | 14,186 |
| East Midlands | 12,435 |
| North East | 10,735 |
| Wales | 9,021 |
| South West | 8,104 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 7,138 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,100 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 22 March 2021. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/563904.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
a8328ae5fd2f5665… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.