Low-carbon heating systems at sports facilities thanks to £1.1m grant
16/06/2025
The work is projected to deliver an annual carbon saving of 234 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent
Spiceball and Woodgreen Leisure Centres and the North Oxfordshire sports pavilions are amongst the local sports facilities which will be getting eco-friendly enhancements, thanks to a £1.1m grant.
Cherwell District Council has secured funding through the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. The cash will pay for decarbonisation upgrades at the local venues and at Stratfield Brake in Kidlington.
Works will include replacing fossil fuel-based heating systems with low-carbon alternatives, such as air-source heat pumps. Other efficiency upgrades, including insulation, are also part of the project.
The work is projected to deliver an annual carbon saving of 234 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent – the equivalent of driving a car for 821,678 miles.
Councillor Tom Beckett, Portfolio Holder for Greener Communities, said: “This council is committed to addressing climate change head-on. Since we declared a climate emergency in 2019, we’ve taken big strides towards our goal of reaching net zero by 2030, and I am delighted that we are taking this proactive approach to winning government grants.
“While we’ve invested before in decarbonisation measures at our leisure centres, there’s still more to be done to reach our carbon net zero ambitions. This largely grant-funded latest round of investment will substantially reduce our energy use and carbon footprint. This will allow residents’ trips to the gym or swimming pool to feel both good for personal health and planetary health.”
Cherwell will provide £560,911 of matched funding from existing capital budgets for the work, the majority of which is expected to be completed by March next year.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
