Public swimming pools ‘can't rule out’ turning temperatures down amid rising costs

There are no plans to put prices up at public swimming pools - or turn the water temperature down - despite the rising costs involved in heating them.

Greater Manchester's publicly owned pools and leisure centres are facing a huge increase in energy costs, but intend to continue with 'business as usual', although a spokesperson said the organisation's in charge 'can't rule out' changes in the future. This includes a £200,000 increase in energy costs to run leisure centres in Manchester with a further 30 pc rise expected in the city from October 2023.

It comes as some public swimming pools around the country are reported to be at threat of closure because it has become too expensive to heat the water. But in Greater Manchester, although no public pools are known to be in this position, the organisations running them cannot rule out changes in the future.

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GM Active, a collective of 12 leisure operators across Greater Manchester whose organisations manage most of the publicly-owned leisure services in the city-region, says the 'long-term aspiration' is to keep all public pools open. A spokesperson said: "While acknowledging the steep increase in energy prices, and their potential impact on publicly owned swimming pools across Greater Manchester, it is the intent of all our members to keep our pools open and operating business as usual.

"That means no reduction in water temperatures, no changes to services and programmes and no increase in prices. However, while striving to maintain business as usual, we can’t rule out any future changes and that is why we fully support the coalition of leading bodies in the physical activity