Council bids to make Biddulph Valley Leisure Centre carbon neutral

Biddulph Valley Leisure Centre will get solar panels and air source heat bumps to replace the gas boilers

A council has bid to make a leisure centre carbon neutral, along with other services, by 2030.

The £2.1m project will see Biddulph Valley Leisure Centre's gas boilers changed to air source heat pumps and solar panels installed.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council secured £1.9m from the government's Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

The centre's carbon emissions is said to be reduce by 300 tonnes every year.

The authority, which runs the centre that has a gym, sports hall and swimming pool, has supplemented the further £265,000 from its own funds.

• What are heat pumps?

Head of service commissioning Rob Wilks said they were "delighted" with the grant and added that the council is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2030, in its internal operations and services it delivers.

"This project will really be a game changer and we are looking forward to seeing the positive impact it will have when it's completed early next year," he said.