This is when an East Sussex leisure centre's pool could reopen

Last month, Freedom Leisure, which manages Rye Sports Centre in partnership with Rother District Council (RDC), said it had to announce the temporary closure of the pool over the winter period from November 1 due to spiralling energy costs, adding the decision would be reviewed again in the spring.

But RDC said the pool could reopen in the new year if efforts to persuade government to support the leisure industry in the face of massive increases in energy costs, along with a new partnership initiative, are successful.

Following a meeting between Rye Town Council, RDC and Freedom Leisure, the council said it was agreed all parties needed to continue to lobby central Government for support and to work together with the aim of reopening the pool in the new year.

They also agreed to look at various ways of addressing the issue, including how energy use could be reduced across all the Freedom Leisure sites and investing in energy saving measures.

Last month, protestors held a demonstration calling for the pool to reopen.

Rye mayor Andrew Rivett, said: “The closure of our pool is a devastating blow for those dependent on it to maintain or manage their physical health and wellbeing. The town council is committed to working with all stakeholders to re-open our treasured pool at the earliest opportunity. It is too important to lose, and we must not let down all those who worked so hard to provide us with a fully accessible public pool.”

Cllr Hazel Timpe, RDC’s portfolio holder for leisure, said: “No one wants Rye swimming pool to close. We will continue to lobby national government to give further support to businesses trying to cope with massive energy increases, and to local government which is also under huge financial pressure.”

Ivan Horsfall Turner, CEO of Freedom Leisure, added: "We are devastated it has come to this and we will do everything we can to try and reverse the decision however, we are all clear, and it was further evidenced in Sally-Ann Hart MP’s recent BBC television interview, that without central Government support and public sector leisure being included as a vulnerable business in the January review, an earlier reopening is unlikely.”

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