Malvern Splash Leisure Complex is set to receive up to £400,000 in funding for re-roofing and the installation of solar panels at the facility.
Malvern Hills District Council’s Executive Committee approved £220,000 in funding at a meeting last night (Tuesday) which will come from the priorities earmarked reserve.
The rest (£174,430) will come from the Swimming Pool Support Fund, which the Government has made available to support public swimming pool providers to improve energy efficiency, alleviate cost pressures, and more.
To install the Solar PV panels, it is necessary to re-roof the facility which is approaching end of life and to install an additional layer of insulation.
The council and Freedom Leisure have been working together to reduce energy costs and the carbon footprint of Malvern Splash with savings made to date of around £15,000 and 35tCo2.
Due to increasing energy prices it was necessary for the council to approve a financial energy support package to Freedom Leisure which reduced the annual management fee from £350,000 per year to £160,000 from 2023/24.
This project is predicted to save 186,445 kWh in electricity usage (a 40% reduction on 22/23), see a reduction of 39.5tCo2 and deliver savings of £49,389 per year in energy costs.
Rob Tyler, Area Manager at Freedom Leisure, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Malvern Hills District Council on these projects to improve the efficiency of Malvern Splash. We work hard every day to reduce our energy use and these improvements will enable us to make Malvern Splash more sustainable and minimise its impact on the environment”.
Cllr John Gallagher, Portfolio Holder for Resources at Malvern Hills District Council, said: “This funding will help reduce energy costs, as well as the carbon footprint, of this much-loved facility in Great Malvern which will assist in keep the facility running. As a council, we prioritise investing in our community facilities, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as becoming carbon neutral and delivering our Destination Zero Plan”.
Visit www.freedom-leisure.co.uk/centres/malvern-splash-leisure-centre/ for more information about Malvern Splash Leisure Complex.
Date published: 24 April 2024