Hyndburn Leisure Centre Receives Sport England Grant for Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Hyndburn Borough Council are pleased announce that it has been awarded a grant of £241,447 from Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF). The grant will be used to implement energy-saving measures at Hyndburn Leisure Centre, further contributing to the Council’s commitment to net zero carbon activities by 2030.
The SPSF grant was awarded after a successful bid from the Council. It will specifically fund energy-saving measures identified at Hyndburn Leisure Centre including replacement variable speed fans and a new metering and monitoring system, allowing for greater control of the energy used at the centre, particularly in the winter months.
The Council’s Cabinet accepted the grant and confirmed additional funding for further energy saving improvements at the centre. Councillor Noordad Aziz, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, welcomed the grant from Sport England, stating,
“As part of our sustainability strategy within the Council, this grant represents a significant step towards our goal of creating a more sustainable and energy-efficient leisure centre at the Church site. By investing in green technologies, we not only reduce our environmental impact but also ensure long-term cost savings. The new metering and monitoring system alone will lead to an estimated 98,000 KwH reduction in energy consumption each year and supplement the previous works.”
Sport England Executive Director for Place Lisa Dodd-Mayne said,
“Swimming pools and leisure centres are vital community resources and are enormously important in helping people to be physically active.
Many pools have faced a real and significant threat to their survival this year, as local authorities and operators have battled the challenge of increased energy and wider costs, weakened reserves and difficulties with retaining staff.
Sport England is proud of the role we’ve played in supporting Hyndburn Leisure Centre and many other pools during this difficult period. We hope the funding will enable more public pools to improve their energy efficiency to be more environmentally and financially sustainable so they remain available for future generations to enjoy.”
In addition to the SPSF grant, the Council today approved an additional capital investment of £525,085 for plant replacement and further energy efficiency works. These works may include upgrading shower water systems, replacing old lighting with LED fittings, and enhancing external lighting throughout the centre and car park.
Councillor Aziz added, “Whilst the SPSF grant is welcome, our bid included several other energy saving measures which were unfortunately not awarded funding and additional works which fall out of the scope of the grant are also required at the leisure centre. The additional funding from the Council alongside the Sport England grant means we can achieve further savings by completing all this work together.”
Despite the challenges posed by rising energy costs, the Council remains committed to creating a greener, more sustainable leisure centre for the community. The combination of the SPSF grant and additional investment ensures that Hyndburn Leisure Centre continues to lead the way in energy efficiency.
Hyndburn Leisure Centre has previously been identified as the Council’s highest emitter of CO2 due to a defunct fossil-fuelled plant. Since then the Council has significantly reduced the CO2 emissions by 70%, which on an annual basis is around 390 tonnes. This was achieved when the Council received £1,988,324 Public Sector
Decarbonisation Scheme funding to remove the gas supply and deliver a new electric powered sub-station, air source heat pumps, solar panels, a battery store and new heating controls.
These new interventions, funded by the Council and Sport England will further compliment work which has already taken place.
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About Sport England
Sport England is a public body and invests up to £300 million National Lottery and government money each year in projects and programmes that help people get active and play sport.
It wants everyone in England, regardless of age, background, or level of ability, to feel able to engage in sport and physical activity. That’s why a lot of its work is specifically focused on helping people who do no, or very little, physical activity and groups who are typically less active – like women, disabled people and people on lower incomes.