Stratford-on-Avon District Council receives funding from Swimming Pool Support Fund

Rooftop solar panels will be installed at Stratford Leisure Centre, following Stratford-on-Avon District Council's successful bid in Phase II of the Government's Swimming Pool Support Fund.

The District Council has been awarded £283,000 to provide grant funding for capital investments to help swimming pools become more energy efficient.

The funding will be used to install Photo Voltaic (PV) panels on Stratford Leisure Centre's roof, which will help to reduce the leisure centre's energy bills and save carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere each year - helping the fight against climate change.

Cllr Lorraine Grocott, Environmental and Neighbourhood Services Portfolio says: "We want to lead by example with the things we are doing in response to the climate emergency, so we are delighted to have received funding from Phase II of the Swimming Pool Support Fund, allowing us to install solar PV panels on the roof of Stratford Leisure Centre.

"The solar PV installation will help us to reduce our environmental impact considerably; reducing the current energy being used from the grid, leading to a reduction in greenhouse gases and carbon savings. It's also a welcome boost at a time when the leisure sector has been hit hard by the energy crisis."

It is anticipated that the size of the rooftop solar panel system to be installed will be 202.50kWp, housing 405 panels, yielding 849 kWh. It is also anticipated that the Year 1 energy savings will generate 172,090kWh in electricity reductions.

At the current rate, the annual forecast savings post intervention will be £51,627, and based on the costs of the project, expect payback in just under 5.5 years.

No start date for the work has been agreed, but the installation needs to be completed by no later than 31 March 2025.

Stratford Leisure Centre, is managed by Everyone Active in partnership with the District Council.

Richard Bell, contract manager at Everyone Active, said: "We are really grateful to Stratford-on-Avon District Council for submitting this bid for Stratford Leisure Centre. By having rooftop solar panels installed, we are now able to reduce carbon emissions and futureproof the facility for years to come.

"Sustainability is a key priority for Everyone Active, so we are delighted to work alongside our local authority partners to implement carbon-cutting measures that contribute towards a net-zero world."

The District Council declared a climate emergency to become net-zero carbon as an organisation by 2025, and by 2030 seek to reduce the total emissions in Stratford-on-Avon District as a whole by at least 55% as a stepping stone to becoming a net zero District.