Herefordshire leisure centre boss worried about 2023

Scott Rolfe said the average leisure centre with a pool had an £80,000 annual utility bill

Rising costs have left the chief executive of a chain of leisure centres "very worried" about the year ahead.

Scott Rolfe runs Halo Leisure which has eight centres in Herefordshire plus others in Shropshire and Wales.

He said utility costs could rise by 300% and warned hundreds of swimming pools around the UK could close without further government support.

The government has been contacted for comment.

Mr Rolfe said his company was looking for savings but the cost of heating pools was difficult to reduce.

He added his staff were looking to run the pools at "optimal temperatures" but said that was problematic because he was catering for up to 5,000 children a week in Herefordshire, from 60 primary schools.

"If you drop temperatures too much then it becomes too cool for children and babies, so it kind of defeats the object," he explained.

In September, Worcester City Council said it was looking to hand over up to £255,000 from its reserves to Freedom Leisure, which runs Perdiswell Leisure Centre, St John's Sports Centre and Nunnery Wood Sports Complex on its behalf, to help cover the soaring cost of gas and electricity.

Herefordshire Council said it was "working in partnership with Halo to help them continue to provide the invaluable facilities residents need this winter".

Mr Rolfe said he welcomed the support, but with government aid due to end before April, "all eyes" would be on what comes next".

He argued the cost of a government rescue package would be worth it if it saved "critically-important community facilities".

"Just imagine the impact if there were no swimming pools and no children were able to learn to swim," he said.

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