'Unsustainable' heat pump condemned by councillor

The heat pump installed at The Burrow's Pavilion cost more than £6,000 a year to run

An "unsustainable" heat pump installed at a council-run sports facility has been condemned after it was unable to power the facility it was installed at and cost thousands of pounds a year to run.

Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) installed the air-source heat pump (ASHP) as part of the upgrade to The Burrow's Pavilion in Leckhampton in 2021.

The pump proved unfit for the purpose, with "insufficient capacity to run the building" and running costs amounting to more than £6,000 a year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

At a council meeting on Monday, parish councillor Emma Nelson claimed that "due diligence" had not been carried out, a claim denied by the council.

In a written question, Ms Nelson said: "It has transpired that the ASHP is not fit for purpose with running costs amounting to an unsustainable six to seven thousand pounds per annum and has insufficient capacity to run the building.

"It seems the contractor appointed under the CBC tender program had limited understanding of the technology," she said.

"Why was due diligence on suitability of contractor/supplier of original ASHP not carried out? Why is there no guarantee in place?

"Consequently, the ASHP now requires replacement at a cost to Leckhampton Rovers Football Club."

She said a new one would have running costs of around £1,500 a year.

Emma Nelson raised the issue at a council meeting on Monday

In response, finance and assets cabinet member Peter Jeffries said it was incorrect to say due diligence had not been carried out at the time.

"The works were awarded to an established and well-known local contractor and this was overseen again by an established and respected local firm," he said.

"In this case, CBC property team are currently in contact with the contractors to acquire warranty information for the installed equipment as this may enable a claim to be made for any credible defects."