More than £200k to be spent improving energy efficiency at leisure centre
More than £200,000 has been awarded to Stafford Borough Council to help cut carbon emissions and boost energy efficiency at a leisure centre.
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Solar panels and shower flow restrictors are set to be installed at Stafford Leisure Centre after cabinet members gave the green light for the spend at their meeting on Thursday.
The funds have come from the Swimming Pool Support Fun, a £80 million government funding programme administered by Sport England to keep facilities running.
The second phase of the fund aims to improve the energy efficiency of public swimming pools and the money has to be spent by the end of March 2025.
Councillor Gillian Pardesi, cabinet member for leisure, said: “We were very pleased to be awarded £214,000 for our leisure centre from the Swimming Pool Support Fund.
"This report requests approval to spend the money to install photovoltaic panels and shower flow restrictors at Stafford Leisure Centre. As well as bringing down costs, they also mean the leisure centre will be much more environmentally friendly.”
Councillor Tony Pearce, cabinet member for climate change, added: “We have a target of reducing our carbon output to zero by 2035 and this is a very important step towards that.
"It’s unfortunate that the building wasn’t constructed with solar panels at the time it was built – it’s a relatively recent building.
“I think it’s something the council should have insisted on when it was built. But it’s better late than never, we are now making that important step forward and reducing our carbon output.”
