New Forest leisure centre saunas close due to energy prices

Freedom Leisure said its annual energy bill had risen from £8m to £20m

A leisure centre operator has closed its sauna and steam rooms in an attempt to save energy.

Freedom Leisure, which runs leisure centres on behalf of New Forest District Council, said it was closing the facilities over the winter.

The not-for-profit trust said its energy costs were rising at an "alarming rate".

It said "difficult decisions" were having to be made and it may need to consider other measures to cut costs.

The closure of saunas and steam rooms at Applemore, Totton, New Milton and Lymington leisure centres will be reviewed in the spring.

Applemore Leisure Centre is among those where the sauna and steam rooms have been closed

"These facilities use a significant amount of energy and closing them even for a short period of time will go a long way towards reducing our overall energy consumption," a Freedom Leisure statement said.

The not-for-profit charitable leisure trust runs more than 100 leisure centres across the country.

It has already temporarily closed swimming pools in Milton Keynes and Rye, East Sussex due to the energy price crisis.

It also announced a "small reduction" in water temperatures of its swimming pools.

Last month the trust said its annual energy bill had risen from £8m to £20m.