Several swimming pools are forced, Monday, September 5, to close their doors in France, due to the explosion in the price of energy, reports the France Bleu network. The Vert Marine group notably closed around thirty of its establishments.
>> Energy: lower heating, closed swimming pools and museums… Faced with soaring prices, these municipalities are tightening their belts
The Ingreo aquatic complex in Montauban in Tarn-et-Garonne has closed its doors temporarily, indicates France Bleu Occitanie. The management prefers to suspend its activity, rather than pass on this increase to the price of entries. “The increases in the cost of energy that we are all experiencing no longer allow us today to manage equipment in an economically balanced and socially sustainable way. “, indicates the management of the swimming pool in a message posted on its website and social networks. The equipment is managed by the Vert Marine group, a public service delegation.
The Aquapolis in Limoges has also ceased its activity, reports France Bleu Limousin. The aquatic center remains closed until further notice. The company Vert Marine in charge of the establishment ensures that the exploitation of the aquatic center becomes impossible because of the explosion of the price of energy. Limoges Métropole has therefore also decided to close the establishment. The vice-president of the agglomeration of Limoges, Fabien Doucet, explained to franceinfo to consider Monday on franceinfo the possibility of legal action denouncing a “hostage taking of users”while this space is frequented by 450,000 people.
The company, based in Normandy, explains that the price of the megawatt/hour has multiplied by ten since January 2022. In a press release, Vert Marine explains that “If this increase were impacted on the price of the entrance ticket, the price would have to be multiplied by three, and go from 5 to 15 euros for a resident of the agglomeration.” The company, which has 2,000 employees, preferred to close the equipment temporarily. Subscriptions taken out before the decision to close will be reimbursed, assures the boss of Vert Marine to France Bleu Normandie.
“The local authorities’ calendar is much more restrictive than oursregretted Monday with franceinfo Thierry Chaix, the boss of Vert Marine. We will try to discuss with the communities. Explain to them why it has to stop: the cost is no longer acceptable and we can no longer pass it on” the boss of Vert Marine claims to have “decided to take an emergency measure to then discuss and find a solution: for example, to close certain basins in the swimming pools, or to join the contract of the communities, which receive energy cheaper than us.
“Are swimming pools really essential at a time when energy is so expensive? Anyway, we haven’t found a better defense than closure.”
Thierry Chaix, boss of Vert Marineat franceinfo
In total, around thirty sites managed by the Vert Marine group are concerned, such as the Les Dômes swimming pool in Rivesaltes (Roussillon), the Aygueblue swimming pool in Saint-Geours-de-Maremne (Landes), the Nemausa aquatic center in Nîmes (Gard ), IThe Hippocampe aquatic center in Granville (Manche) or the Diabolo aquatic complex in Bourg-de-Péage (Drôme), the Montbauron swimming pool in Versailles (Yvelines), the Guy-Bey aquatic center in Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine), the Océabul aquatic center in Saint-Jean-de-Monts (Vendée), the Presqu’île de Saint-Dizier (Haute-Marne), the Calyssia swimming pool in Armentières (North), closed until further notice.
In the Hérault, the Pays de l’Or community of municipalities has decided to close its pools one day per week to save money in the four inter-municipal pools (la Grande-Motte, Palavas-les-Flots, Lansargues and Mauguio) .