Newquay leisure pool closing for winter to cut costs

Swimming will still be available during the winter in the 25m pool

A leisure and fun pool in Cornwall is closing for six months as a way of "significantly cutting energy costs".

GLL is closing the pool at Newquay Leisure World from the end of October until easter 2024.

The centre's 25m pool will remain open and its club and school activities will not be affected.

GLL's head of service for Cornwall, James Curry, said it does not make commercial sense to run both pools over the winter.

GLL is a charitable social enterprise that runs the centre on behalf of Cornwall Council, under the 'Better' brand.

It said the current annual heating cost for Newquay Leisure World is £300,000.

It hopes the closure of one pool for six months will save about £30,000.

'Very high maintenance'

The family-orientated tropical themed fun pool has features including a bubbly volcano, happy hippo flume, the extreme orange flume, the tippety-toppety bucket, Sally the slow snake and Sammy the spitting snake, according to its website.Mr Curry said Newquay Leisure World has "very high maintenance costs" due to the age and set up of the building.

"Energy costs trebled in 2022 and though they have started to fall, it does not make commercial sense to have our leisure pool fully operational when it is only used at weekends," he added."Sustainability is key to our good housekeeping approach and running two pools over the colder months simply isn't a viable, or responsible, option." 

The winter closure is a trial, with fitness swimming and lessons continuing in the 25m pool, along with weekend family swimming with children's party sessions.

The pool will not be emptied due to the risk of the sides collapsing, but the water will be treated and the heating turned off.

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