We have secured £1 million in government funding to reduce carbon emissions at Eckington Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre which will make it the leisure centre with the lowest carbon footprint in the local area.
The funding will be invested in a range of energy efficient equipment which will cut running costs and slash the centre’s carbon emissions by 66 per cent.
The gas fired heating plant at the 47-year-old centre in Eckington will be replaced with air source heat pumps, which will take in heat from the air to heat the building. Photovoltaic solar panels will be installed to generate electricity to power the heat pumps, while a new air handling system will improve the air quality in the pool hall and improve the temperature poolside.
By investing in these green technologies, the Council will save 254 tonnes in annual carbon emissions at the centre, a reduction of 66 per cent. That’s the equivalent saving of CO2 emissions from heating more than 100 homes a year.
Overall, the energy-saving measures will help lower the centre’s running costs, resulting in anticipated savings of £16,000 a year.
The Council have worked closely with leisure development specialists Alliance Leisure and energy management consultants Leisure Energy to oversee the installation of the new technology on the energy-saving scheme.
In a further move to reduce its impact on climate change, the Council has also committed to purchasing energy from renewable sources only from 1st April onwards to reduce its carbon footprint even more.
Councillor Jeremy Kenyon, Cabinet Member for Leisure at North East Derbyshire District Council said, “With these energy and carbon reducing measures set to save the equivalent of heating 100 homes per year, we are creating a brighter, greener and healthier future for our gym members who attend to keep fit.
By being a member at Eckington leisure centre, everyone involved is contributing towards helping to create a healthier planet, conserving it for our future generations.
We are incredibly proud to robustly invest in green technologies to meet our carbon reduction targets and give our residents the fantastic opportunity to join a forward thinking, carbon reducing leisure centre.
Once completed we aren’t stopping here. With the funding secured for the Clay Cross Town Deal, we will also be making changes to our leisure centre at Sharley Park, making a greener and more sustainable future for our district”.
The work is due to get underway in the summer of 2021 with more specific details and time scales available closer to the time.