A leisure centre is set for a greener future thanks to a multi-million-pound grant to help transform it into a net zero facility.
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has been awarded up to £2.79 million by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to decarbonise Jubilee2, the council’s highest carbon-emitting building.
The grant, supplemented by capital funding, will allow the council to press ahead with plans to move away from fossil fuels and instead use renewable energy to heat and power the large town centre site, which includes two swimming pools.
Work is expected to begin on site in March 2027 following detailed design and tender stages. The project includes replacing the existing gas boilers with a state-of-the-art air source heat pump, eliminating the need for gas entirely, and installing solar thermal technology to reduce reliance on electricity from the grid. An acoustic fence will also be added to support the new energy system.
Once complete, the upgrades are expected to reduce traditional energy usage by more than 1.5 million kilowatt hours each year, leading to cheaper energy bills and cutting nearly 280 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
Councillor David Hutchison, cabinet member for sustainable environment, said: “The council is committed to ensuring that Newcastle-under-Lyme has a sustainable environmental future: its landmark Sustainable Environment Strategy includes a fully costed road map to net zero by 2030 for its own operations and estate, and details how it will also support the wider borough to do the same by 2050.
“Jubilee2, like most leisure centres, uses a great deal of energy due to its function. It’s a priority site: because it requires the largest amount of capital funding to decarbonise, it will subsequently bring about the biggest reduction in direct carbon emissions from our buildings and services.
“It’s great news that we’ve gained this external funding. It will go a long way in helping to make it a net zero facility, while reducing pressure on the council’s capital works programme.”
Other suggested improvements for Jubilee2 include switching to LED lighting and introducing a behaviour change programme to encourage more sustainable practices among staff and visitors.
Councillor Craig Skelding, cabinet member for leisure, culture and heritage, added: “This project future proofs the popular facility in an age of rising energy costs, preserving it as an important facility which provides health and well-being facilities for residents and visitors.”
The council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and has since been working to decarbonise its buildings and services, including the installation of solar panels at Bradwell Crematorium, Keele Cemetery and Kidsgrove Town Hall.
