A Cumbrian leisure centre has been awarded more cash to help it reduce its carbon footprint and save energy.
Work will start on the £388,000 project to replace the gas boiler at Appleby Leisure Centre with an air source pump this month and last for around five months.
The building’s plant room pipes will also be insulated to reduce heat loss.
Appleby Leisure Centre will also benefit from the installation of solar PV panels onto the roof so the building can generate green electricity, funded by Sport England’s Swimming Pool support fund.
Westmorland & Furness Council has plans to be in a carbon neutral position by 2037.
Its boiler replacement is partly funded by a £1.75 million grant from the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
Also having their boilers replaced with air source pumps plus additional work are Kendal Leisure Centre, Kendal Market and South Lakeland House.
The scheme is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Salix.
The council will match fund a minimum of 12% of the project costs from their prioritised capital maintenance budget, taking the total project value to over £2 million.
The estimated annual total carbon emissions saved from carrying out the above projects is 343.2 tCO2e, the equivalent of driving around the world 52 times.
Appleby Leisure Centre was given cash from the authority and Sport England last year to install triple glazing.
Users of Appleby Leisure Centre are warned there will be some disruption.
Work is due to start on Monday, January 26 and the first phase will last until February 15. During this period, there will be no disruption but contractors will be on site.
Solar panels will begin to be installed from Monday February 16. The pool will remain open until the start of the boiler work and contractors will be working in non-public areas and on the roof.
It is estimated the pool will close from Monday March 2, following removal of the existing gas boilers. However, an exact closure date has yet to be confirmed.
The gym and changing facilities will stay open throughout but there will be reduced parking at the site.
Greenwich Leisure Limited, which manages Appleby Leisure Centre on behalf of the council, said it would be in contact with members and swimming lesson customers with further information before the boiler work begins.
GLL is contacting schools directly to discuss alternative health and physical activity sessions.
During the work, Appleby members will be accepted at all other GLL Cumbrian centres, including Penrith Leisure Centre, Kendal Leisure Centre and The Sands Centre, Carlisle.
