£3m to reduce carbon emissions at Evesham and Pershore leisure centres

Councillors will meet next week to approve plans for new low carbon heat and power systems at the two leisure centres.

The project will cost more than £3.3 million in total but the majority of the funding is coming from the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

A condition of the funding is that Wychavon District Council contributes at least 12 percent of the total cost.

Reducing emissions at the district’s leisure centres is a key priority in the council’s bid to be carbon neutral by 2050 at the latest.

According to a report going before councillors, the council’s three leisure centres account for more than 60 percent of its total emissions, with Evesham Leisure Centre responsible for about half of that.

The work will see the gas heating systems at both Evesham and Pershore leisure centres replaced with electrically-powered air source heat pump systems.

“The proposals also include replacing the existing pool hall air handling units with units with an in-built air source heat pump, installing destratification fans into the pool hall and putting solar panels on the roofs,” the report says.

“The installation of these low carbon heat and energy systems would substantially reduce emissions from both leisure centres as well as the council’s total emissions, making a significant step towards meeting our Intelligent Green plan targets.

“For Pershore Leisure Centre it is estimated that the project would reduce emissions by between 80-90 percent, and 60-70 percent for Evesham Leisure Centre.

“In total it is predicted that the project could reduce council emissions by approximately 700 tonnes CO2 per year.

“This would represent almost a 30 percent reduction on our total emissions as an organisation.”

The report says the government funding needs to be spent by March 31 so there is a tight delivery timescale on the scheme.