Walsall Council awarded £2.6m to ensure Darlaston Swimming Centre is carbon neutral
Walsall Council has been awarded £2.6m to ensure Darlaston Swimming and Fitness Centre is energy efficient.
Government backed body Salix allocated the money as part of phase two of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
Walsall Council beat off authorities from across the country to clinch the money and will help the UK's ambitious aim of becoming carbon neutral.
Darlaston Swimming and Fitness Centre will replace end of life gas boilers with high capacity air source heat pumps, install of solar panels, LED lighting and other technology that will help the building run in a more energy efficient way.
Deputy leader of Walsall Council Councillor Adrian Andrew, said: "For the council to be able to reduce its carbon footprint by over 400 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year as well as saving money on spiralling energy costs, all via this external funding, is excellent news. This represents real investment in Darlaston and will help us to safeguard this local leisure facility for many years to come.
"As well as that though, the money saved can be ploughed back into valued and essential local services."
Deputy Leader for Resilient Communities Councillor Garry Perry said: "It’s fantastic that we’ve been successful in bidding for this investment in Darlaston Swimming and Fitness Centre. When the work is complete, users of the Centre may not easily see the changes, but they can do their swim and gym knowing that the facility is doing its bit to address climate change.
"We’ve had long-standing issues with the out-dated boiler system at Darlaston which has no doubt impacted on the experience of pool users. This is ‘investment plus’ — it deals with the problem, provides a more cost effective solution and contributes to decarbonisation. It’s a win-win as far as I’m concerned."
