An installation of 393 roof mounted photo voltaic solar panels has commenced at Uttoxeter Leisure Centre in East Staffordshire. Leisure Energy were appointed as Principal Contractor for the install and are working in partnership with East Staffordshire Borough Council and Everyone Active – SLM.. The installation is funded by £339,525 via the Sport England Swimming Pool Support Fund. The panels are expected to save approximately 40 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Cllr Paul Walker, Cabinet Member for Tourism and Cultural Development, said: “I am pleased to see the further installation of solar panels at Uttoxeter Leisure Centre has commenced in partnership with Leisure Energy, one of many ways the Council is working to achieve its goal of making the Borough carbon neutral by 2050.”
Melissa Marsden, Assistant Project Manager at Leisure Energy said “Having worked with East Staffordshire Borough Council at Meado

wside Leisure Centre, we are proud to continue our relationship through the installation of solar panels at Uttoxeter Leisure Centre, further assisting the Council and Everyone Active with providing energy solutions to reduce their carbon emissions and enable electricity generation at their facilities.

Dan Mclean, Everyone Active’s Area Contract Manager, said: “It is great news to have more onsite renewable energy generation, which will further reduce the centre’s carbon footprint going forward. Everyone Active is proud to work alongside the Council in meeting their net zero ambitions, which is the most important part of our own net zero strategy.”

In a further boost to the borough’s climate efforts Oadby & Wigston Borough Council (OWBC) has secured a £156,704 grant to install solar panels on the roof of Parklands Leisure Centre, Oadby.

The panels are projected to cover 20% of the centre’s annual energy consumption reducing CO2 emissions by 12.65t per year, the equivalent of planting 581 trees, in a major step towards OWBC’s commitment to achieving net zero and reducing emissions in the borough.

The grant funding is from Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund, and follows a grant of £184,050 awarded from the same fund last year to install panels at Wigston Pool and Fitness Centre.

OWBC applied for both grants in 2023 with initially only the Wigston bid being successful, but Sport England later also approved the bid for Parklands Leisure Centre.

The solar panel installation, beginning this week and set to be completed later this summer by contractors Leisure Energy, is also expected to deliver major energy cost savings.

Parklands Leisure Centre and Wigston Pool and Fitness Centre are both owned by OWBC, and managed by Everyone Active.

The Swimming Pool Support Fund was created by the Government due to the increase in energy costs over recent years at leisure facilities and with the intention of both helping keep pools open in the face of financial challenges, as well as funding longer-term projects to help reduce future energy bills.

Cllr Bill Boulter, Chair of Service Delivery Committee at OWBC, said: “We’re thrilled that Sport England came back to us to also approve this bid allowing both of our borough’s leisure centres to benefit from renewable energy – a significant step on our journey to net zero.

“To make a real difference we all must play our part. I am proud that we are leading by example, and I really encourage residents to think about the small changes they can make in their lives to make our future greener.

“As well as the environmental benefits these panels also slash running costs and add a layer of resilience to changes in the energy market – offering a valuable layer of protection to such an important service.”

Peggy Lee, Group Sustainability Manager for Everyone Active, said: “It is great news to have more onsite renewable energy generation, which will further reduce the centre’s carbon footprint going forward. Everyone Active is proud to work alongside the Council in meeting their net zero ambitions, which is the most important part of our own net zero strategy.”

Mike Worsnop, Strategic Director for Leisure Energy, said: “The completion of the solar panels at Wigston Pool have provided an effective solution to lower the carbon footprint and energy costs at the facility. We are also excited to continue working with Oadby & Wigston Borough Council as Principal Contractor for the solar panel installation at Parklands Leisure Centre. Our partnership with the Council and Everyone Active will contribute towards the Council’s net zero targets whilst providing the community with sustainable sports and fitness facilities for ongoing generations.”

Pictured: an artist’s impression of what the completed installation on the roof of the leisure centre will look like.