“Too many” leisure centres haven’t been reopened due to struggling councils, a leader said as he approved an “invest to save” decarbonisation programme in his district.
North Kesteven District Council’s executive committee approved a £1.4million plan to decarbonise Sleaford Leisure Centre, Whisby Natural World Centre and the OneNK centre in North Hykeham on Thursday.
A report before the councillors said leisure and cultural facilities “contribute a disproportionate amount of the council’s CO2 footprint” with the three facilities creating 59% of the footprint alone.
Solutions will include new solar panels, heat and water recovery systems, heat pumps and LED upgrades.
Council leader Councillor Richard Wright said: “We’re not just looking at energy costs or decarb, this is about the sustainability of our leisure centres going forward.
“You look around the country and too many local authorities are struggling – many haven’t actually reopened leisure centres since COVID.
“It’s a sector that massively needs government intervention still, but in the meantime we’re not just sitting and waiting.”
He said the facilities had a lot of value and formed a key part of the council’s health and wellbeing strategies.
“It’s part of so much in our plan for residents and it’s so important that we do the best we can to not only bring the CO2 emissions down, but to reduce the cost of running the estate.”
The bids will be funded from the council’s own Renewals Reserve as well as match-funding bids to the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
The capital budget requirements for the works at the three sites will cost a total of £1,417,800 and it is hoped the authority will get £927,000 from the PSDS.
Councillor Mervyn Head said it was an “invest to save” strategy for the council, while Councillor Ian Carrington said the proposals were “practical” solutions to tackling climate change.
“It is not about empty words, we’ve got Lord knows too many of them” he said.
“It is about is maths, science, engineering and accountancy because we have to find ways, as we have done here, of funding these projects.”
The combined schemes will save a total of 280.2 tonnes of carbon according to the council’s research.
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