Claim it is wasteful as 'no one uses it' at the moment
The Sky Pool at Embassy Gardens being cleaned
Residents living near the Sky Pool residents are furious that the suspended pool costs £450 a day to heat when ‘no one uses it’ in winter.
Many have urged the developers to shut it over winter to save money – or limit opening times.
Nine Elms in Battersea is home to the US Embassy along with flats, restaurants and a 25-metre pool bridged between two buildings and 35 metres above the ground. It opened in May 2021.
Only exclusive Embassy Gardens members are able to use the Sky Pool and full property owners get access to luxury entrances. Those in shared ownership homes must use the so-called ‘poor door’.
The pool is up to three metres deep and reportedly costs £164,250 to keep the water heated at 30C all year round.
Resident Emma Fisher said: “No one really uses the Sky Pool in the winter.”
She said if it was turned off during winter and it saved her rent money, “that would be good”.
The 25-year-old added, “I’m moving out next week as my landlord is wanting to increase my rent by an extra grand next month.
“It’s already quite a lot of money anyway, and we got it in the pandemic so we got a good deal but after our six month property inspection it got revalued.
“It was good in the summer. I did go there in December and it was freezing.
“It’s nice being in the water but when you get out, that’s where the cold air is.
“I think it would be better to prebook so they could heat it for those days then they know people are going to be in there.”
Emma Fisher, 25, said nobody really uses yhe Sky Pool in the winter
Local Molly Hainbridge’s reaction to the pool costing £450 a day to heat was: “Crickey!”.
She said: “I haven’t seen anyone use it much in two months. There’s been a couple of people in the evenings but I haven’t seen anyone in the day.”
“We should close it in the winter to be perfectly honest. It looks great but I mean I wouldn’t want to swim in it because it’s just awkward isn’t it.”
Local Steve Wilfred said, “I think they should turn it off in the winter. Heat in the sky is not a good thing. When it’s really cold no one really uses it.”
But the 28-year-old added, “It’s a really good feature and it’s a safe area to live.”
Steve has been swimming there in the summer months with friends.
Resident Y. Ng, who lives near the Sky Pool, said it was “very beautiful and attractive in the area and people drive past and take pictures.
“If you come during the sunset, the pool reflects the sunlight.”
She said she sees “not many” people swimming there during winter months and would support it being closed during that time.
The 40-year-old added that the pool also needed “a lot of maintenance” and “they need to do a lot of regular cleaning”.
Local Y Ng said the pool is 'very beautiful'
A spokesperson for Ballymore, the property’s developers, said, “The Sky Pool is a world-class leisure facility unlike any other swimming pool in London, providing an unrivalled experience for Embassy Garden residents and their guests throughout the year.
“We know from residents how popular the pool is even during colder periods. The pool is used by residents every day and has been used 69 times in the last seven days alone.
“Embassy Gardens provides residents with a range of luxury amenities, while keeping service charges markedly lower than at comparable developments elsewhere in the Nine Elms area.
“The Sky Pool is kept at a constant temperature of 30 degrees Celsius which is the standard for leisure pools.”
A Resident’s Association (RA) meeting that was postponed by the RA in December took place in early January.
Ballymore said at no point have the complaints been raised with the Resident Association. Consequently, at no point have they been raised with Ballymore Asset Management Limited (BAML).
Ballymore said: “If Embassy Garden residents wish to close any amenity, they are able to do so.
“This process would be led by the Resident’s Association and would have to be based upon a consensus of residents wishing the amenity to be closed.”
James Mayer - Local Democracy Reporter
January 19, 2022