Plans to offer asylum seekers complimentary leisure facilities in Nuneaton and Bedworth have been criticised as inequitable. A review committee based at the Town Hall suggested providing those seeking asylum with a complimentary Passport to Leisure membership. When this scheme was initially introduced, it ranked among the earliest initiatives of its sort nationwide. The programme provides qualifying inhabitants across both towns with complimentary or reduced-price entry to recreational pursuits and sporting opportunities.

During a full council gathering on April 29, Councillor Kris Wilson, who leads the opposition Conservative group, questioned Councillor Brady Hughes, the portfolio holder responsible for leisure, regarding the current status of the initiative. He additionally queried why the suggestion had not been dismissed outright, arguing that it placed an unreasonable burden on council taxpayers, many of whom would not satisfy the criteria for receiving a complimentary Passport to Leisure under the arrangement.

Councillor Wilson stated that when the scrutiny committee put forward its recommendation to explore granting Passport to Leisure access to asylum seekers within the borough, he found it noteworthy that the cabinet had consented to examine the matter further. He questioned why the cabinet member and fellow cabinet members had not chosen to halt the proposal immediately, given that it disadvantaged local residents who contribute financially through taxation yet would not themselves qualify for such benefits.

Councillor Hughes responded to Councillor Wilson by indicating that she would need to provide an answer at a later stage.