Swimming Pools and Leisure Industry Blocked in England Lockdown Ease
Despite lifting lockdown measures and cutting social distancing rules, indoor gyms/fitness centres, swimming pools and sports venues/facilities must remain shut to the public by law as other businesses reopen in England on 4th July 2020. The Government informed it could not open everything at the same time and said ‘difficult judgements” had to be made while uncertainty of a second peak remains.
There is now concern, particularly in the public sector, that gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools will be forced to close as they will not be financially viable. In the government’s ‘Our Plan to Rebuild’ document, released on Monday May 11, gyms and fitness studios were part of step three of the lockdown exit plan. Gyms and leisure centres had put in place plans to open “showroom sites” this month in an attempt to reassure Government, health agencies and their users that they can reopen safely.
Government sources have said that indoor recreational and sport facilities remain closed because there is a “far greater risk of infection” due to people breathing harder and touching surfaces. Industry leaders warned the government that it would damage the nation’s health if pubs and restaurants were allowed to open before health and fitness centres. They pointed to scientific evidence that dismissed claims that gyms are a hotbed for infection and also pointed out that chlorine kills off the virus in swimming pools. The blocked proposed start date to open leisure industry’s will be deeply disappointing following assurances given by leisure industry’s leaders that they can be Covid19 secure.
Forbes has offered a glimpse into what the gym floor may look like once it finally opens. Gyms should be making modifications to check-in, floor layout, available amenities and cleaning procedures.
The industry will have to put on a brave face on calamitous times. It knows that thousand of leisure operators could be forced out of business by crippling rent and rate payments, which come back into effect at the end of this month. Before the coronavirus, the gym industry was booming – one in seven of the entire population had a gym membership – and we were spending a record £5bn keeping fit. When furlough payments reduce and finally end, will monthly direct debits to the gyms and be the first thing to be scrubbed?
Outdoor recreation and sport will be allowed as the government allow the public freedom to exercise outdoors as much as they like. Many of Britains parks have turned into open-air gyms with joggers, cyclists, guys doing chin-up on tree branches and yoga enthusiast doing workouts with their sun salutations. But even outdoor activities are not without its problems. In Kent, Faversham’s hugely popular outdoor pool will remain closed all year – as bosses say reopening with social distancing in place is not financially viable.
With almost a quarter-of-a-million visitors each year, the pandemic has left Faversham Pools without income, yet facing bills of more than £15,000 each month to help cover essential maintenance, utilities and insurance. This year, it will go without the income usually generated by the busy summer season, which typically supports it through the much quieter winter months.
Unless the industry for indoor recreational and sport facilities offer huge cut price promotions to get people back or the government offer health and wellbeing tax breaks under employer/employee schemes like ‘Salary Sacrifice’, then the industry faces grim times indeed.
