Suffolk spa may be forced to close as energy bills rise by nearly £100,000
Leisure centres are not being considered for government help with their costs
Last updated 1st Mar 2023
It's feared swimming pools across Suffolk could face closure due to increasing energy bills
It's as a local spa have told us they've seen their energy bills go up by nearly £100,000.
Currently, leisure centres are not being considered for government help with their costs as they're not considered an 'energy intensive' industry.
Dave Courteen is the managing director of Riverhills Spa: "It's a real challenge at the moment.
"We've seen energy prices for us with our pool increase by close to £100,000 a year.
"It's a real challenge at the moment...
"We are seeing probably in the region of two to three leisure centres or swimming pools closing a week at the moment.
"If this continues a lack of facilities will cause all sorts of societal problems going forward.
"They're a great place for people to meet in the community and to be able to play sports and be active together and if we're forced to close the loss will have an impact on the health of the nation.
"We just think it's a real shame that the government is not showing a more proactive, supportive approach to keep this vital part of the community alive."
Managing costs
He told us how they are trying to manage the costs:
"Some places are actually reducing the temperature of their pools, which is obviously not something we're in a position to do, because we think that will lead to dissatisfaction with our with our spa guests and members.
"There's not a great deal that we can do other than dip into our savings and ensure that we're running as efficiently as we can in other areas."
Supporting the NHS
Dave told us that leisure centres and health clubs provide more than just relaxation and can be vital in helping with some of the challenges the country is facing at the moment:
"We are encouraging and enabling people to have a more active lifestyle...
"When one of the biggest challenges the government has at the moment is funding the NHS.
"By encouraging people to be more active, it's going to help reduce the need and the cost for the NHS, so we feel that we're an industry that should be supported by the government because of the additional benefits that we provide.
"Dropping VAT for memberships and usage of health clubs, leisure centres and swimming pools, would have a real benefit for the government, I think.
"It promotes an active lifestyle, reduces some of the costs for the NHS and helps our sector."