Solar panels installed at Uttoxeter Leisure Centre
East Staffordshire Borough Council has announced that work has been completed on the installation of 393 solar panels at Uttoxeter Leisure Centre, following a £339,525 grant from Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund.
This is following the successful installation of 600 solar panels at Meadowside Leisure Centre back in March.
The Swimming Pool Support Fund was created by the Government due to the increase in energy costs over recent years at leisure facilities and with the intention of both helping keep pools open in the face of financial challenges, as well as funding longer-term projects to help reduce future energy bills.
Leisure Energy were appointed as the principal contractor for the works across Meadowside and Uttoxeter Leisure Centres. The Council has been working closely with both Leisure Energy and Everyone Active throughout the installation process.
Across the installations at Meadowside and Uttoxeter, the environmental benefits are as follows:
• 28,000 kilograms of C02 emissions have been saved
• The C02 emissions saved across both centres is equivalent to the planting of 1,766 trees
• On average the solar generation for MLC has provided 48 per cent of the building’s energy consumption during the last 6 months, with ULC solar generation providing 44 per cent on average over the last 2 months.
Cllr Paul Walker, cabinet member for Tourism and Cultural Development, said: “I am pleased to see the Council working so closely with Leisure Energy and Everyone Active on the installation of solar panels at both Meadowside and Uttoxeter Leisure Centres. These solar panels will help reduce the carbon footprint of our leisure centres going forward, working towards the Council’s goal of making the Borough carbon neutral by 2050.”
Mike Worsnop, strategic director at Leisure Energy said: “We were pleased to support East Staffordshire BC with the installation of the solar panels at the leisure centre. They will help to decrease the facility’s reliance on fossil fuels, lower its environmental impact and contribute to the borough’s and Everyone Active’s sustainability goals whilst futureproofing the building for generations to come.”
Dan Mclean, Everyone Active’s area contract manager, said: “It is great news to have more onsite renewable energy generation, which will further reduce the centre’s carbon footprint going forward. Everyone Active is proud to work alongside the Council in meeting their net zero ambitions, which is the most important part of our own net zero strategy.”
Pictured (L-R): Mike Worsnop (strategic director at Leisure Energy), Hayley Milton, (general manager at Uttoxeter Leisure Centre), Cllr Michael Slater (ESBC), Cllr Paul Walker (cabinet member for Tourism and Cultural Development at ESBC) and Mark Rizk (head of Corporate and Environment Services at ESBC)
