“It’s pretty crazy that we end up closing public places”: in Meudon, the closure of the swimming pool because of the price of electricity is making waves – franceinfo

On an A4 sheet taped to the entrance to the Meudon swimming pool, in the Hauts-de-Seine, the visitor can read the word “closed”, written in capital letters. “It’s the energy crisis…, reads aloud, Gabriel, surprised, this Monday, September 5. If the increase were impacted on the entry price, the latter would be multiplied by three. Ooh there!” This is one of the concrete consequences of the war in Ukraine: the explosion of energy prices. The Vert-Marine group, which manages around 80 swimming pools in France under public service delegation, announced this weekend in a surprise press release the closure of around thirty of its swimming pools throughout France. The company, based in Normandy, explains that the price per megawatt hour has multiplied by 10 since January and that keeping them open would mean a higher entry price for users like Gabriel. This cartoonist comes to swim for an hour and a half every week to relieve his shoulder. “25 lengths does me a lot of good: I’m very disappointed not to be able to train, he sighs. And I think there are a lot of people like me.” It’s likely: the pool welcomes an average of ten thousand people per month, all audiences combined. Among them, Alice, student. “It’s pretty crazy to think that we’re going to close public places, she says indignantly. And energy needs will increase this winter…” “We don’t really know how far it will be fine if we close the swimming pools from now on… It’s a little scary…” Alice, student at franceinfo “We are very sad, too because we find ourselves all alone, confides Damien Texier, manager technique of the Meudon swimming pool, which has about fifteen employees. We were happy that it was back to school and to welcome schoolchildren, diving clubs, etc.” “We find ourselves on short-time working and we don’t know when it will last, continues Damien Texier. It takes a toll on morale: either they manage with the communities, the town hall and the State, to put their hands in their pockets , either… Because swimming pools, we know that they are abysses. It consumes a lot to heat the pools, for hot water, electricity, all that.” “We do not have the means: we will not be able to make up for the deficit of this service provider, replies Francine Lucchini, deputy mayor in charge of sports in Meudon, still ulcerated by the news. We knew it overnight : we are in contract until 2025 with Vert Marine. The subject of breaking this contract before the end is in the hands of our lawyers. We will defend ourselves tooth and nail for our population.” As for the resumption of the management of the swimming pool by the municipality, it is not on the agenda for the moment.