Walsall fitness centre hailed 'greenest in the borough' after energy saving measures installed
A Walsall leisure centre has been made more energy efficient thanks to a £2.6 million pot of funding.
Darlaston Swimming and Fitness Centre has been kitted out with energy saving measures, including an environmentally-friendly heating system.
Low-energy LED lighting has also been installed throughout the building, with solar panels on the roof generating electricity to power the heat pumps and help with the leisure centre’s electrical requirements.
The new measures come after Walsall Council was awarded £2.6m in funding as part of the Government's Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
Councillor Adrian Andrew, deputy leader and portfolio holder for regeneration at Walsall Council, said: "This investment in Darlaston is excellent news and these energy conservation improvements and new technologies will help us safeguard this local leisure facility for many years to come.
"The outcome from the investment means that the council will reduce its carbon footprint by 420 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year as well as saving money on energy costs at the centre.
"It is the equivalent of taking more than 200 cars off the road every year and makes it the greenest leisure facility in the borough."
Councillor Gary Flint, portfolio holder for wellbeing, leisure and public spaces at the local authority, added that he was "delighted" to see the changes made at the fitness centre.
He said: "We are committed to creating a greener and healthier borough for the community and doing our bit to address climate change.
"I am delighted that the energy efficiency installations and green technologies at Darlaston Swimming and Fitness Centre are now complete.
"Everything has been integrated sympathetically into the existing infrastructure of the leisure centre, lowering energy consumption and improving the overall customer experience."
Walsall Council worked in partnership with Alliance Leisure, through the UK Leisure Framework, on the project, which was delivered by Leisure Energy, an award-winning energy saving consultancy.
Georgina Hyde, projects director at Leisure Energy, added: "It’s been great to work in partnership with Walsall Council and Alliance Leisure to provide energy saving measures and green technologies.
"These measures have helped lower the carbon footprint of Darlaston Swimming and Fitness Centre significantly and provided their customers with a facility that is sustainable for future generations.
"As part of our Leisure Energy community programme, we have been able to assist Darlaston Town Football Club in reducing their gas usage too."
