Marbella and Estepona demand the reopening of their municipal swimming pools after plug was pulled due to rising energy costs

Marbella and Estepona town halls have asked the company responsible for the management of the Supera Fuente Nueva and José Ramón de la Morena swimming pools to reopen both facilities. The users of these sports centre were told last by the company last Friday that the pools had been closed because "energy costs have shot up", making the bills "unaffordable".

Both councils have reminded the company of its contractual obligations and are considering the possibility of ending the contract. Javier García, deputy mayor of San Pedro Alcántara, said on Monday that, after receiving the news in writing from the company, the council had “demanded the immediate reopening of the pool.” He went on to explain that the first measure that has been taken “has been to communicate in writing to the company the obligation they have to open these facilities immediately.”

"We are going to continue working with with the contracting department, the mayor's office and the sports delegation to try to find a solution as soon as possible," he stressed.

"We are aware of the excessive increase in energy costs, both in gas bills and in the cost of electricity, but that does not prevent us from reminding them that they have an obligation to the town hall and to their users," said García, who added that "all possibilities are being considered, including that of ending the contract, but it depends on their response."

The deputy mayor recalled that "the difference between the two pools is that the boilers of Fuente Nueva are natural gas which have had an increase in price which, according to the company is 300 percent, and on the other hand, the one in Marbella is biomass so the energy consumption is much lower.”

He added, “We understand that we are in a situation in which all prices have skyrocketed, we are in circumstances at a European level that have not been experienced since World War II, in a war economy and the company has taken this decision unilaterally."

García hopes that a response will come from the company by the end of this week. "We want to sit down with those responsible to see their response. If it is negative, possible decisions will be considered from a legal and economic point of view" as "there is a contractual relationship and they have failed to comply with the conditions for opening the centre."

In the same vein, Estepona town hall has asked the company responsible for the management of the José Ramón de la Morena sports centre "to reopen the pool and to comply with the administrative contract for the management of these facilities."

In a statement the council said it "rejects the decision taken unilaterally to close the pool area” and considers it “unacceptable” that the service is not provided to residents.

The company that manages the chain of Supera centres, Sidecu S.A., has closed some 20 swimming pools in a dozen gyms in Spain. These are the least energy-efficient facilities and they are taking the consequences in the form of complaints and cancellations, according to some users on their social networks. Through this medium, they have also informed their users that "in the coming weeks they will proceed to give proportional refunds of the courses that were being run.”