Thirty swimming pools managed by Vert Marine closed abruptly on September 5 due to skyrocketing energy bills.
The thirty swimming pools that were brutally closed two weeks ago in France will all be reopened by the end of next week, said Friday the operator Vert Marine, which had closed its establishments due to an explosion in the energy bill. “From Monday and in the days to come, all public sports facilities that had been temporarily closed will be reopened to the public.“, writes the operator in a press release sent to AFP.
This sudden closure, announced without notice on September 5, created amazement among the communities concerned, accusing the delegate “to take them hostage“, moreover in the middle of the back-to-school period. The French Swimming Federation had requested the reopening “immediate» swimming pools. Since this week, several swimming pools have already reopened, such as Limoges, Versailles, Clichy-sous-Bois, following agreement with the communities. In some cases, such as Versailles, the town hall allows the operator to benefit from the negotiated gas and electricity tariff.
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“Since our decision, the suddenness of which Vert Marine recognizes, and which it was able to explain to the local authorities given the urgency of the situation, constructive exchanges have made it possible in the vast majority of cases to reach solutions which provisionally make it possible to better understand the substantial additional costs in terms of energy“explains the company. The operator clarified that hecontinued discussions to find lasting solutions in times of very expensive energies“. Swimming pools, often heated by gas, are energy-intensive equipment. Of the 4,000 swimming pools in France, approximately 10% are managed under public service delegation. A few companies share this market and Vert Marine is one of the most important.
SEE ALSO – Energy crisis: around thirty swimming pools closed in France