Tadcaster Pool faces uncertain future after power bill rise

The charity run pool in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire opened in 1994

A swimming pool may be forced to close after its electricity bill shot up from £4,000 to £11,000 in one month.

The charity-run pool in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, saw the near-trebling of its charges in October when its fixed contract ended.

Manager Chris Porter said he expected it to rise even further over winter.

He said the pool was facing a £50,000 loss over the next year funded from its reserves and was worried the government could end its financial support.

Under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme the pool gets £2,000 a month from central government towards its energy costs. The subsidy is due to end on 31 March.

"If that's not continued we're already paying £7,000 extra, then another £2,000 on top of that every month just makes us financially unviable," said Mr Porter.

He said the pool was as a vital part of the community, promoting physical and mental health and "preventing people going into hospital and becoming unwell".

Mr Porter said the pool received no income from the local council or sports bodies and had been forced to raise admission prices and the cost of swimming lessons.

He said: "It's really, really frustrating because, in terms of our bounce-back from Covid and reopening as normal, our swimming pool attendances are the highest they've ever been, they are record-breaking.

"The unfortunate thing is that is not enough."

Pool manager Chris Porter said he was worried the government might end its financial support scheme in March

Pool user Mary Godwin said she had been visiting once a week for more than 20 years and would be "absolutely devastated" if it was forced to close.

"In this pool a lot of elderly people do come and it's not only the swimming that does you good physically, mentally, but it's the social side of it as well," she said.

"It keeps people like me going and I think it's essential."