THE area's only public open air swimming pool is having to bring in cost saving measures as its gas bill looks set to quadruple.

Opening hours at Wiveliscombe Pool will be cut back in September and proposals for autumn swimming and an eight days of festive opening post Christmas into the New Year have been scrapped.

It comes after it emerged the gas bill at the 95-year-old facility in the town recreation ground is likely to hit £28,000 this year - up from £7,000 in 2021.

Sylvia Cottrell, who has managed Wivey Pool since 2016, said: "We're not currently going to open longer hours in September. We're reducing to just morning lanes.

"We've had to reduce the hours because of the cost of heating the water.

"The pool has 99,000 gallons of water and we keep it at 25 degs C.

"If it's really hot, it's wonderful because we don't need to use the boiler.

"But as the water gets colder and colder outside, we need to heat the water more.

"Last season our gas bill was about £7,000. This season we're expecting it to be as high as £28,000."

The pool management team decided to put charges up at the start of the season, but since then energy prices have continued to rise.

Sylvia added: "We're self sufficient. We don't get any Government grants and had no funding during the Covid lockdowns.

"We don't receive any money from the district council. The money we get from members and day swimmers is all we get.

"We have a team trying to fundraise and find grants, but that's not at all easy."

As the only outdoor public swimming facility for miles around, Wivey Pool attracts swimmers from as far away as parts of Devon, including Ilfracombe, and Portishead.

It opens seven days a week from early morning into the evening during the main season, but this year there will be reduced hours in September.

"In the past couple of years we've had various things such as autumn lessons and winter weekends, as well as eight days from December 27 to January 3," said Sylvia.

"We can't even consider that this year.

"We'll shut down at the end of September and then re-open in April or May.

"Unfortunately, the gas price will impact us still more next year."