Swimming pools awarded funding to become more energy efficient

Chard Leisure Centre and Goldenstones Leisure Centre in Yeovil will have destratification fans installed

Four Somerset swimming pools have been awarded funding to become more energy efficient.

As part of the Government's Swimming Pool Support Fund, Somerset Council has received £316,700 to improve leisure centres in the county.

Wells, Frome, Chard and Goldenstones Leisure Centres were all successful in securing funding to help "bring down carbon emissions".

Solar panels, pool covers, and destratification fans are some of the ways in which the money will be spent to make the centres more energy efficient.

'Won the lottery'

Adam Spencer, general manager at Wells Leisure Centre, said that when the centre received the email awarding the funding, it was as if they had "won the lottery".

"The money has given Wells around £193,000 to install solar panels and put pool covers on, and just under £100,000 to do the same in Frome."

Mr Spencer added: "As you can imagine, the leisure centre buildings are ginormous compared to houses - we can fit almost 400 panels on the centre in Wells and about 200 in Frome.

"So, the energy we're going to be able to generate with this funding really is going to be significant."