North Yorkshire pools gain £288,000 for solar panel installation

More than £160,000 will be spent on installing solar panels at Selby Leisure Centre

Hundreds of thousands of pounds are to be spent on installing solar panels and other energy saving measures at four swimming pools.

North Yorkshire Council has been given £288,000 to fund work at the pools in Tadcaster, Selby, Ingleton and Settle.

Sport England is investing £60m to upgrade more than 300 pools and leisure centres across England.

Industry officials have previously warned rising energy prices were putting pools at risk of closure.

Selby Leisure Centre and Settle Area Swimming Pool have received £161,000 and £21,000 respectively to fit solar panels.

Ingleton Swimming Pool, an outdoor heated pool, has been awarded £45,000 for solar panels and pool covers.

Tadcaster Community Swimming Pool has been awarded £61,000 for pool covers and meter monitoring devices.

Jo Ireland, the council's assistant director for leisure, said: "Swimming pools are high energy consumers and with rising costs everything that can be done to reduce those bills is welcome.

"Swimming pools are vital community assets and important in helping people to keep physically active."