Perdiswell Leisure Centre will solar panels, once roof is fixed

A project to install solar panels at Perdiswell Leisure Centre was given the green light by Worcester City Council’s policy and resources committee last night (Tuesday, September 3).

Installation of the panels will cost the council £480,000, with £195,750 of that coming from Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund.

Before the panels can be put up, the roof of the leisure centre’s sports hall needs to be re-felted - a job that will cost an additional £350,000.

SUPPORT: Leader Lynn Denham says the scheme is fundamental to keeping a swimming pool in Worcester (Image: Lynn Denham)

Shane Flynn, the council’s corporate director for finance and resources, told councillors it was better to get the work on the roof done before installing the solar panels.

He also said the Sport England grant has to be spent by April 2025.

The work is expected to result in a solar array that will reduce the council’s carbon footprint by 48 tonnes.

It will save thousands on the energy bills of Freedom Leisure, which runs Perdiswell Leisure Centre, and should give the council an 11 percent return on its investment.

Council leader Lynn Denham said the project is “much bigger” than a similar scheme involving solar panels at St Martin’s Gate car park, which has been deferred.

“It’s fundamental to this city being able to continue with actually having a swimming pool,” she said.

“Many local councils, because of the cost of energy, because of the cost of maintaining swimming pools, they have gone - they have lost those. 

“Huge gratitude to Sport England and to our staff who have gone out and brought that money into the council.

“And credit to Freedom Leisure and the opportunity for getting solar panels onto the roof of Perdiswell Leisure Centre because that is going to be a good payback both in terms of finances and in terms of our carbon footprint, because the energy use on the Perdiswell site is significantly more than on St Martin’s Gate.”