Solar panel plans submitted to help cut energy costs at Hetton Community Pool and Wellness Centre
Plans for solar panels to help a Wearside leisure centre cut its energy costs have been submitted to city development chiefs.
Sunderland City Council has submitted an application to its own planning department to help make Hetton Community Pool and Wellness Centre greener.
The plans follow the leisure centre receiving a £410,000 national grant from Sport England, targeted at ‘easing the financial pressures that councils and leisure operators are facing’ due to rising energy and general operating costs.
Plans for Hetton Community Pool and Wellness Centre include the proposed installation of a “solar PV array” to the building with a “capacity of approximately 189.64 kW”.
Submitted designs state the solar PV system would include more than 430 ‘solar modules’ which would also include a “strengthened glass front cover with anti-reflective coating”.
Sunderland City Council previously said the panels would help lower the building’s carbon footprint and make savings on its energy bills.
The local authority added the city already has a low carbon framework and pledge to drive down emissions to help make council operations carbon neutral.
It is understood that the grant funding cash for the Hetton leisure facility, managed by the council’s leisure service partner Everyone Active, is earmarked for solar panels and other energy-saving devices to heat the building.
This includes a scheme to warm the water for the centre’s swimming pool.
Gerry Taylor, executive director of health, housing and communities at the council, speaking earlier this year, said: “Installing solar panels and more LED lights will save on energy bills and cut carbon emissions.
“This in turn helps the environment by lowering our carbon footprint, helps with the longer-term plan for going carbon neutral, helps save money for leisure and sports centre users, and for all council tax payers.
“The grant for the work is very much what could be called an ‘invest to save’ project”.
Sunderland is one of 264 councils to receive the funding that can go towards solar panels, LED lights and pool covers as well as a variety of other improvements aimed at improving the energy efficiency of public facilities with pools.
A decision on the Hetton energy saving project will be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.
Sunderland City Council’s planning department lists a decision deadline of November 4, 2024.
For more information on the plan or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 24/01675/LP3