Leisure centre solar project faces funding cut-off

A council faces a race against time to install solar panels on the roof of a leisure centre before its funding is cut.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council has until the end of March to make the improvements to Shipston Leisure Centre using funding from Sport England.

If it fails to hit the deadline, £135,000 from the body's Swimming Pool Support Fund could be withdrawn.

The council approved £170,000 of funding for the project, which would cover the cost should Sport England's funding be removed, at a meeting on Monday.

Cabinet members heard at the meeting the work was expected to cost £152,000 to complete.

The centre emits 48 tonnes of carbon each year through its electricity consumption – almost a quarter of its carbon footprint - they heard.

They voted to dip into the council's climate change reserve – a pot of money that is said to have been underutilised in the past – to make up the required £17,000 not covered by the grant and foot the bill in the event of the grant being withdrawn.

A report authored by Tony Perks, the deputy chief executive of Stratford-on-Avon District Council, said: "When a cost-benefit analysis of several decarbonisation projects from across the council's estate was carried out, installing solar PV panels on Shipston Leisure Centre represented the best value for money.

"The project also has a relatively short payback period of 9.2 years. Therefore, this project has been identified as a priority action for the council's decarbonisation agenda."

In a separate project, the council is using another £283,000 from Sport England to install solar panels on the roof of Stratford Leisure Centre.

Sport England have been contacted for comment.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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