13 January 2023 , 22:12
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Olympian Rebecca Adlington has hit out at the Tories for cuts she fears will lead to swimming pool closures and put lives at risk.
The energy bills support for non-domestic users is being cut by 85% from April, and swimming pools have been left off the list of intensive users eligible for much higher levels of help.
Ms Adlington, who won two freestyle golds in the pool at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said she was “shocked” by the “short sighted” move by the Government.
She told the Mirror: “It is making a bad situation worse.
“It is about more than just swimming clubs and fewer future Olympians, although that is inevitable.
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The gold medallist says she fears people could die (Liverpool Echo)
She added the move could harm people's careers (Manchester Evening News)“This is about life skills, children learning essential life skills, it is about tackling drowning rates and rates of obesity, which are going up.
"Swimming pools are used by all ages, three to 83.”
She said mass pool closures would harm the careers of athletes who, like her, start out swimming at local pools.
“It is just the sort of pool that is at risk,” she said.
Swim England was forecasting, even before the energy crisis, that almost 2,000 pools could shut down by 2030, a situation made worse by Covid.
Wadebridge Leisure Centre in Cornwall was saved from closure late last year after being taken over by the local community. Emma Tudge, from the Friends of Wadebridge Leisure Centre, said the situation was now “very risky” due to high energy prices.
Business Secretary Grant Shapps has defended the reduced support, saying a “responsible” government had to make “difficult choices”.