Leisure centre has net zero aims after £2.7m Govt funding boost

LOUGHBOROUGH Leisure Centre is taking big steps to becoming net zero after securing nearly £3 million in Government funding.

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The centre, owned by Charnwood Borough Council and operated by its leisure partner Fusion Lifestyle, will benefit from £2.7 million from the Government's Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme which aims to reduce emissions from public sector buildings by 75%.

The funding will be used to replace the centre’s gas boilers with air source heat pumps, which will reduce the centre's carbon emissions by around 587 tonnes, making the site net zero. It is also expected to bring utility bills at the leisure centre down by around 57% per year.

It comes just as work is completed on the installation of solar panels on the centre's roof thanks to another Government grant worth £235,000.

Cllr Beverley Gray, the council's lead member for climate action and net zero, said: “It is fantastic that we have been able to secure this significant Government funding to help us reduce carbon emissions for many years to come.

“The Council is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and to achieving net zero by 2030.