​​​​​​​New solar panels generating free power

The panels have been partially funded by a £120,000 grant from Sport England's Swimming Pool Support Fund. The Borough Council paid the remaining £130,000.

Works are due to be completed this Friday when a meter panel is going up in the leisure centre's reception area, so visitors to the centre will be able to see how much power the solar panels are generating.

The panels are predicted to save 52,000kg of carbon per year.

Stuart Bray, Leader of the Borough Council, said: "It was great to go up onto the roof of the leisure centre and see the new solar panels, which are already working.

“These will be of great benefit to the leisure centre users and wider community, especially with the amount of energy they are going to be saving.

“It is another step in our mission to decarbonise the leisure centre, supporting our Climate and Biodiversity Strategy.”

Bill Cullen, the Borough Council’s chief executive, added: “Our team worked incredibly hard to secure a grant from Sport England for the project. The investment committed by the Council and great partnership working with Places Leisure has ensured this project has succeeded and we expect that investment to be paid back over time from the energy saving costs.

“I would like to thank everyone at the Borough Council and Places Leisure for their fantastic work on this project.”