Solar panels to reduce swimming pool energy bills

A Sports England grant will help cut energy bills at St Ives pool

It is hoped work to install solar panels on three sports centres in Cornwall will help significantly reduce swimming pool energy costs.

Work has started at St Ives Leisure Centre and Helston Sports Centre with £200,000 funding from Sport England.

It announced a further £175,448 for solar panels and pool covers at Liskeard Leisure Centre in December and work will start there in the next few months, operator GLL said.

James Curry, GLL's head of service for Cornwall said: "The improvements at Liskeard alone will reduce our electricity costs by up to 35%, a very significant amount at a time when energy costs continue to remain high."

'Very significant'

Operating under the Better brand, GLL is the not-for-profit social enterprise that runs the centres on behalf of Cornwall Council.

Carol Mould, the council's portfolio holder for neighbourhoods, said: "The installation of solar panels will significantly cut energy costs and reduce the carbon footprint of these centres."

She said the council "will continue to explore further funding opportunities to support Cornwall's leisure centres".

The funding came from Sport England's £60m swimming pool support fund, made up of £40m government money and £20 million of lottery funding.