Global site navigation

Local editions

Dozens of pools closed in France over soaring energy costs
Business and Economy

Dozens of pools closed in France over soaring energy costs

by  AFP 2 min read
Vert Marine, which operates pools and ice rinks across France, said Monday that its annual energy bill had jumped to 100 million euros ($99 million) from 15 million euros
Vert Marine, which operates pools and ice rinks across France, said Monday that its annual energy bill had jumped to 100 million euros ($99 million) from 15 million euros. Photo: Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed!

French sports and education groups expressed outrage Tuesday at the closure of around 30 swimming pools, after their operator said surging heating costs made them no longer viable.

"These closures directly impact all children and adults who won't be able to learn to swim," the French Swimming Federation (FFN) said in a statement, demanding the pools' "immediate" reopening.

Vert Marine, which operates pools and ice rinks across France, said Monday that its annual energy bill had jumped to 100 million euros ($99 million) from 15 million euros -- a figure it said equalled "the company's entire annual revenue".

The company said it was up to "local authorities and the government to take necessary and unprecedented decisions to get back to bearable energy costs".

But local governments are themselves struggling to meet surging bills, which have doubled in some places, according to France Urbaine, a federation of large towns and cities.

Read also

Irish data watchdog fines Instagram 405 mn euros over children

Physical education union SNEP warned that pool closures during the coronavirus crisis meant there was already "a generation of 800,000 school pupils who were unable to learn to swim in 2020 and 2021".

PAY ATTENTION: Share your outstanding story with our editors! Please reach us through info@corp.legit.ng!

The sports ministry has also heavily promoted swimming as a way of preventing accidental drownings.

"Balancing the books for private companies that manage some pools shouldn't come before the public interest," the SNEP said, highlighting swimming's "educational, health, leisure and safety benefits".

Many of France's pools and ice rinks are old and energy-intensive, and they are set to be studied in more detail by a government working group on saving energy.

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.

Hot: