The temperature in Nottingham city pools may have been turned down to slash fuel costs but readers have responded with the advice to: "Swim a bit quicker." Responding to a story on Nottinghamshire Live's Facebook page, Robert Torrance quipped: "Swim a bit quicker, and you will get warm, simples really."
And reader Ken Bruce chipped in on the comments with: "Just swim faster!!" Reactions were sparked after Nottingham City Council's leader David Mellen said the authority had received some complaints about their pools being too cold - after turning the temperature down to try and save on heating bills. He was updating members of the overview and scrutiny committee about the council's improvement plan on Wednesday (November 9).
Nottingham City Council operates six leisure centres in locations such as Clifton and Bulwell, all of which have swimming pools. Councillor Mellen said: "I think fuel costs are having a varying effect, clearly when we do things like running swimming pools. We have slightly changed the temperature in the pools and we've received some people saying 'it's too cold in your pools'.
"The balance there is that we want people to use our facilities but we don't want to heat things more than we need to. Clearly there has been work in this building in changing the lighting throughout the building [Loxley House] over the last couple of years and I've been told it's saved 25% of the lighting cost."
Linda Hutchinson responded to our story by saying: "Perhaps the council would save money by switching the lights off in St Ann’s Library at night." Amanda Garthwaite said: "I swim at Victoria 5 days a week, the pool is the perfect temperature. In fact the only time it's been comment-worthy was a couple of months ago when it was suddenly very warm and some of the fast swimmers found it too warm for their pace."
Lee Simpson said: "Luxury, when I were a lad we didn't have a pool we had a ditch with no water", while Alexander Koukovistas commented: "Back in my day we had to jump in the lake if we wanted to swim".
Gnanalingham Kogulan, 50, a businessman, told Nottinghamshire Live: "If it's only a couple of degrees, that's fine, anymore than that is an issue. Pools need to be cool. I haven't noticed a difference personally."
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