The thirty swimming pools that were brutally closed two weeks ago in France will all be reopened by the end of the week of September 19, said the operator Vert Marine on Friday, September 16, which had closed its establishments due to an increase in considerable energy bill.
“As of Monday and in the days to come, all public sports facilities that had been closed for a temporary period will be reopened to the public”writes the operator in a press release sent to Agence France-Presse.
This brutal closure, announced without notice on September 5, had created amazement among the communities concerned, who had accused the delegate “to take them hostage”, especially during the back-to-school period. The French Swimming Federation had requested the reopening “immediate” swimming pools.
“Constructive discussions”
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.
“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 a solutions which temporarily make it possible to better understand the substantial additional costs in terms of energy”explains the company.
The operator clarified that he “continued 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 largest.