Swimming also provides a social element

SWIMMING pools across the borough are closing early as energy prices ­spiral – amid warnings the reduction is hitting poorer parts of the borough hardest.

Better, the name used by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), has a contract to run council-owned leisure centres across the borough but last month announced a “reduced winter time­table” at some of its Islington leisure centres in response to the “national energy crisis”.

Archway Leisure Centre, Cally Pool and Gym and Ironmonger Row Baths in Bunhill have all been affected by the cut in hours, with Cally Pool now closing every Friday, while the facilities in Archway and Bunhill are closing earlier during the week.

Beacon High School Pool and Highbury Leisure centre have not been affected by the change.

GLL told the Tribune that it was facing increased costs of 250 to 300 per cent to heat the swimming pools across the 270 leisure centres it runs.

It said it had attempted to mitigate the utility rises by turning down pool temperatures by roughly 1 degree celsius, using pool covers and switching to LED lights as well as reducing opening hours.

Caledonian councillor Paul Convery has said the decision to reduce opening hours in poorer parts of the borough is a “tactical managerial decision, but it’s not one in sync with our thinking,” adding: “I completely understand that Better went through the financial mincer during the pandemic, it really hammered them – but what I was not thrilled about was that they’ve made savings at a place like Cally Pool.

“I get why they’re making those savings at Cally and not at Highbury, because Highbury generates a surplus but Cally doesn’t. Part of the reason we’re with Better is because we recognise places like Cally Pool need a bit of subsidy while other places generate surplus.”

He added: “The terrible logical conclusion is that someone at GLL might say: ‘why does Islington want us to keep Cally Pool open, because it’s losing the council money?’ But we want to keep Cally Pool open – it’s a bit of the borough where we want to have those services.”

Cllr Convery added he would like to see the government provide better protection for leisure services.

“There’s no end of pressures on the NHS because we don’t have good preventative health services, in which I include health and leisure centres,” he said.

“If you invest in leisure and sports services eventually you get a payback in terms of reduced pressure on the NHS, so it makes financial sense.”

Mari Williams, who chairs adult swimming club Cally Masters, said: “It definitely affected us – the benefits of swimming for a club like ours, where we have a wide group of people, younger people, older people, and people with different needs, it provides a social element.”

She added: “It’s really important people have a place to keep fit and feel a sense of belonging. I think that if you look after people’s fitness and health in the short term, in the longer term that’s better for mental and physical health, which ultimately saves money for the NHS.”

Bunhill coucillor Phil Graham said of the Ironmonger Row Baths closure: “I think it’s disgraceful they’ve had to reduce their opening hours – swimming pools are a vital service and provide one of the cheapest ways of getting exercise. There should be a subsidy from the government.”

A GLL spokesperson said: “The new programme varies for each centre and is designed to minimise disruption for our customers and to avoid changes for schools and swimming lessons.

“This will enable us to turn off lighting, plant and equipment at the time of maximum energy use, when it is coldest and darkest. This is also when we are least busy.

“Heating a public swimming pool complex now costs over £300,000, up from under £100,000. In Islington, the agreed hours reduction is based on usage and demand. We apologise to customers for any inconvenience.”