Lonsdale Swimming Pool: Venue's future threatened by rising gas prices

Trustees of a community swimming pool say they are worried for its future after rising prices sent its gas bill soaring.

Lonsdale Swimming Pool, in Mickleover, Derbyshire, is seeing its energy costs increase from £34,000 to £104,000 a year.

Director Ian Cotter said they were desperately seeking help to make the venue more energy efficient.

A national charity says more support is needed for community pools.

The facility, in Bishop Lonsdale Way, was built in 1970 and has been run as a not-for-profit organisation since 2007.

It hosts up to 70,000 visits every year including school lessons, family sessions and mother and baby groups.

Mr Cotter said it was now being severely affected by the cost of living crisis.

"The gas bill last year was about £34,000 and this year it is up to £104,000," he said.

"We got reserves we could be using, but I'd rather use those reserves to pay for improvements to the building rather than spending it on the gas."

Mr Cotter said he planned to apply for grants for insulation to bring energy costs down but was fearful for the facility's future.

Manager Lynn Palmer said the pool was "very important" to the community.

"There's not many pools around here," she said. "I'm not sure where the schools would end up going if we weren't here."

Claire Marshall, a teacher at Griffe Field Primary School, said although swimming was part of the national curriculum it was also an important life skill.

"It's really important the children learn to swim," she said. "It would be a big shame if we'd lost this wonderful place."

The Royal Life Saving Society UK said community pools across the country have already been hit hard by the pandemic and were now struggling to stay open due to rising energy prices.

Lee Heard, director of the charity, said: "There's mounting pressure to keep these places open, which are so fundamental to the public.

"If there's isn't a government package or support for the industry we're not quite sure how many pools are going to be impacted by this.

"We could see mass closures across the UK."

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