Saxony: Disagreements about energy saving measures in the sports sector

Dresden (dpa/sn) - In Dresden there are discrepancies about concepts for saving energy consumption.

Saxony: Disagreements about energy saving measures in the sports sector

Dresden (dpa/sn) - In Dresden there are discrepancies about concepts for saving energy consumption. On Friday Mayor Dirk Hilbert (FDP) responded to a letter from the city's own sports facilities to sports clubs in the state capital. "Unfortunately, these measures have not been coordinated with the mayor and the group of deputies. The responsible own-company committee was not sufficiently informed and taken along," explained Hilbert.

"It is undisputed that, given the current situation with a view to possible bottlenecks in the gas and energy markets, we have to talk about a wide variety of points within the city's infrastructure," emphasized the mayor. To do this, he instructed a task force to be set up to examine various potential savings and submit concrete proposals in August. The aim must be a city-wide concept that also takes social aspects and concern into account.

"It is unacceptable that facts should be created in one area without the consequences having been politically weighed up. For this reason, I have instructed the responsible deputy not to implement the measures in their own sport operations," emphasized Hilbert. Rather, the responsible committee must be comprehensively informed and the task force involved. Only after weighing all the pros and cons will a final decision be made.

The in-house operation had informed the sports clubs on Thursday of austerity measures, which should initially apply until September 30th. Accordingly, the hot water should be turned off in the sports facilities and the floodlights turned off. In addition, the opening times of the ice rink and the level of illumination in the halls were to be adjusted. The company also announced "restricted care cycles for sports turf areas". Sports facilities where national squads and professional athletes train should initially not be affected.