Rishi Sunak builds Private Pool at £1.5m Mansion

It has been reported that Rishi Sunak has built a private pool at his £1.5 million mansion. Meanwhile, his constituents’ are on the brink of losing their public baths due to soaring energy prices.

The Prime Minister hopeful has spent thousands building the pool, costing around £13,000 a year to run.

This comes amid warnings that 79% of community swimming pools could close across the country.

Amongst those is a leisure facility in Richmond, North Yorkshire, in the heart of Mr Sunak’s constituency.

The pool runs as a charity venture and it has served the community since 1976.

But soaring energy prices have taken bills from £63,600 to £315,000 a year, with no prospect of government help.

Just 18 miles away, Mr Sunak lives in a gated Grade II-listed manor near Northallerton, North Yorkshire with his wife.

In 2021, the couple applied for a new stone building on a paddock to house a gym, a 12×5 metre pool, four showers and storage.

Austin Gordon, general manager at Richmond Pool, said:

“It is ironic Rishi has just built a pool for himself, while his constituents face losing theirs.

“Our current energy deal finishes at the end of September, so we are trying to work out what we are going to do.

“The quotes that have come back so far have gas prices which will be an almost 600% increase and electricity at 300%, which is horrendous.

“Pools are high-energy users. We have to keep thousands of gallons at a certain temperature.

“We have energy-saving measures already in place, but when you start applying numbers like that to it, it makes it impossible.

“I’ve been in the industry 35 years and there’s never been anything like this.

“We’re a charity with the object of providing wellbeing services and facilities for the community.

“But we’re also a business and if a business can’t pay its way, it will close.

“This will have a huge impact, particularly on children and the elderly who come here to exercise and socialise.”

Some locals have called for Mr Sunak to open his private pool to local children.

Huw Edwards, chief executive of UK Active, has warned closing the community pools will have “a devastating impact on the health of the nation and cause a huge burden for the NHS”.

He added that more than 18 million people visit such facilities every year.

Dave Chandler, head of the Swimming Teachers Association has claimed pool closures could even lead to more deaths by drowning as fewer people will learn to swim.

Rishi Sunak is up against Liz Truss in the race to become the UK’s next Prime Minister.