Six swimming pools have been given a government cash injection to improve their energy efficiency which will reduce running costs and boost their sustainability.
Sport England via the National Lottery and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is awarding £430,000 to St Ives, Camelford and Carn Brea Leisure Centres, Helston Sports Centre, Wadebridge Sport & Leisure Centre and Jubilee Pool in Penzance.
The money from the government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF) will be spent on solar panels at the five centres and a pool cover at Jubilee Pool.
Cornwall Council applied for the funding with support from the South West Net Zero Hub.
The Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF) provided a total of £80 million to local authorities in England as a support package for public leisure facilities with swimming pools, which was split into two phases.
In phase 2, £40m capital funding was made available with an additional £20m of lottery funding to improve the energy efficiency of facilities. Sport England reported that the amount requested in applications nationally was four times greater than the combined £60m budget for SPSF Phase II.
Cllr Carol Mould, Cornwall’s portfolio holder for neighbourhoods, said:
“This is a great result for these five centres and Jubilee Pool. The funding will help them save significantly on energy costs, reduce emissions and help secure their long-term future for residents.”
Jon Rattenbury, programme manager of South West Net Zero Hub, said:
“We’re very pleased to have supported Cornwall Council with their bid to Sport England. The funds will enable solar panels to be installed on the rooftops of five leisure centres, providing essential long-term operational cost savings and carbon reductions for valued community buildings. We look forward to providing additional support to help get these systems up and running later this year.”
Story posted March 25, 2024
