“It’s not just a pool, it’s everything to people.” So says the chairman of Ashton Swimming Club, Steve Shilley, ahead of the impending closure of Ashton Pool – the leisure centre where the club, founded in 1895, has been based for decades.
Active Tameside, the trust that runs all the borough’s public leisure facilities, has announced the closure of the Active Ashton site, along with its Active Etherow and Active Longdendale facilities in September.
Active Ashton has two swimming pools and a gym, Adventure Longdendale contains a trampoline park, laser zone and soft play area for children, and Active Etherow is the trust’s dedicated indoor bowling centre.
The charity says that the huge increase in energy bills has taken the cost of utilities at its sites up to £2 million a year.
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