Lanarkshire leisure facilities could slash their opening hours or even close due to the impact of "out of control" energy bills this winter.
That's the warning from Community Leisure UK, the members' association for charitable trusts delivering public leisure and culture services across the UK.
All of the group's 109 members will be hit hard when the increase in energy bills takes effect from October.
Among the members are South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, the body that looks after entertainment venues such as Rutherglen Town Hall and Hamilton Town House, as well as swimming pools such as the Eastfield Leisure Centre.
Regulator Ofgem announced last month that the energy price cap will jump from £1971 to £3549 from October 1 this year.
Kirsty Cummings, the chief executive of Community Leisure UK, told Lanarkshire Live that facilities such as local swimming pools will be at particular risk.
She said: "Escalating energy costs are a concern for facilities at the moment, especially for those not on a fixed term deal. Swimming pools, ice rinks and theatres that are energy intensive to run are the most at risk because the cost of those is spiralling out of control.
"There was financial pressure on members being exacerbated due to Covid before, and this has now come on top of that. There is a question on sustainable investment in the long run for many of these facilities.
"I know that in Scotland our members usually have good relationships with local authorities, however there may be additional funding required, and there also requires a reminder of the health benefits these facilities provide for people."
Ms Cummings fears a knock-on effect of the bills crisis could see leisure and culture activities across the region become split between the haves and the have-nots.
She added: "The impact on users of those facilities reducing hours or closing is considerable. We don't want to see these becoming a disposable thing for members, and there is going to be a division between those who can afford to use them and those who can't afford.
"There is a fear that people will chop out things like swimming or activities that can greatly benefit both physical and mental health.
"We've already had a couple of members across the country choosing to temporarily close swimming pools over the winter because they can't afford it. There will be difficult decisions to be made."
South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture told Lanarkshire Live that they are currently assessing their options.
Kay Morrison, general manager of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC) said: “SLLC, like so many organisations across the country, continues to work hard to recover from the impact of Covid-19.
“The potential impact of rising costs presents a further risk that will be considered as part of ongoing budget monitoring and future planning.
“For the meantime we will continue to monitor the effects of energy cost rises on our facilities and look at all and any mitigation options available to us."
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