Freedom Leisure announces trial reopening of sauna and steam rooms at Totton and Lymington centres

TWO New Forest leisure centres forced to close their sauna and steam rooms due to rising energy costs have temporarily reopened them.

As reported in the A&T, Freedom Leisure, which operates sites at Lymington, New Milton, Ringwood, Totton and Applemore for NFDC, said it was having to make “difficult decisions” to ensure it reduced its energy consumption.

A spokesperson for the organisation confirmed it had reopened the facilities for a one-month trial at Totton and Lymington.

In a statement, the not-for-profit group said: “During this trial period we will open the facilities at limited times so that we can monitor and report the energy consumption.

“We hope that if this trial is successful, we can reopen other sauna and steam facilities across the New Forest centres.”

It added: “Charities like ours are facing crippling increases in energy costs due to the upward movement in wholesale energy costs.

“However, unlike domestic supply, we do not have the limited protection of an energy price cap. For us, these increases are running into the many millions of pounds.

“Freedom Leisure cannot simply absorb these increases. We are in open dialogue with our local authority partners and central government to mitigate the impact of these increased costs, so that we can continue to provide the level of service you expect and continue to support the health and wellbeing of our local communities.”

New Forest District Council, which owns the centres, recently paid Freedom Leisure £1.5m to address an income deficit.

Councillors agreed to the bailout after hearing the centres had been affected by a slower than anticipated post-Covid recovery, as well as spiralling energy bills and the cost-of-living crisis.