It’s business as usual for leisure centre users as Nottingham leisure centre gets fit for the future

We visit net zero pod to see how innovation is benefitting community thanks to Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme grant

A Nottingham community is splashing out on a greener future thanks to an ambitious net zero project which has transformed a popular leisure centre.

Rushcliffe Borough Council has been able to take solid strides in decarbonising the Cotgrave Leisure Centre, Cotgrave, thanks to funding under the Phase 3b of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

The £1.2m government grant has meant the leisure centre has been able to transform how its swimming pool and leisure features are heated. It is part of Rushcliffe Borough Council £5.2m investment in Cotgrave and Keyworth leisure centres.

The council has set an overall goal to operate as a carbon-neutral organisation by 2030.

We visited the site to see how works are progressing and to discuss the challenges around removing old fossil fuel technologies.

Whilst most local people are rightly concerned about how many laps they can complete in a 25m swimming pool or how they can achieve their personal best in the gym, exercise rooms or sports hall – at Salix we’re interested in energy efficiency savings and in saving the planet. 

On the day we visited the Cotgrave venue it was certainly buzzing with activity.

Our Salix programme co-ordinator Hannah Amato said: “It’s incredible to see this pioneering green technology being developed here in the local community.

“Whilst most people come here to use the sports facilities, we’re coming to look at the heat pump rooms and the technologies that will set this centre up for the future generations who come here.

“It’s amazing to think that all this work has been completed without the leisure centre having to close once.”

The new heat pumps works are expected to be completely finished by the end of March with the full project at the site having an end date of July.

When we visited, we were able to look at the new low carbon air source heat pump unit, The Net Zero Pod. The new plant room uses electricity from renewable sources to efficiently draw heat from the air and transfer it into the swimming pool and surrounding areas, resulting in 250% to 300% energy efficiency. 

During the day we were able to take a close up look at the heat pumps and understand better how they power the leisure centre.

Leisure, Sport and Health Manager for Rushcliffe Borough Council, Helen Penniston,  who is overseeing the delivery of the project, showed us the technologies and explained what a difference the new systems will make on the way the building works.

She said: “Working with our principal contractor Leisure Energy to deliver these works and decarbonise the centre is a great example of how we are helping to reduce CO2 emissions and will go a long way towards achieving our environmental goals to operate as a carbon neutral council by 2030.”

Overall, the work means that leisure centre visitors now have a warmer pool, changing rooms and fitness rooms. It is a more comfortable environment to be in.

Previously the site was using old inefficient fossil fuel boilers which the council had identified as being hugely energy inefficient.

The project has not come without its challenges. The leisure centre sits in a residential area and special attention had to be paid to any noise created by the heat pumps. Engineers solved this by installing and acoustic screen to prevent noise and visual pollution. 

During the works it was also important to maintain emergency exits at all times, in order to keep the building operational. 

There were also small spaces to negotiate and sometimes it was hard for cranes to access the site. Engineers found it challenging to remove the old heat units, because of the limited access.

The Cotgrave team are also happy to share some of their planning successes. They were able to negotiate early with their local Distribution Network Operator and communication worked well.

They also had a well-developed plan on how to explain the works to leisure centre users. As users may have faced inconvenience at times, the big picture was a hard message to promote at times. The team tackled this by having displays in the reception area as well as regular communication with users. Helen adds this helped “ensure the community has come along with us.”

Helen also talked about the future for the site and the decarbonisation works in general.

She said: “Through decarbonisation, alongside significant refurbishment of the facilities, we are enhancing the quality and sustainability of facilities for the community and future generations.

 “People come here for a number of reasons, to get fit and healthy and to be a part of their community, they don’t come here to talk about energy or even the climate crisis.

“Everyone is busy, and they just want to enjoy themselves.

“And for most people they would not know about any works, apart from the changing of the colour of wall or floor tiles. There is a lot of steel and infrastructure work that has gone on which people do not see.

“However, our planet is important to all of us, so there is a whole piece of education work to be done around net zero and why we have set our net zero goals.

“We now have a leisure centre which is set for the future, not only creating a better space but it’s better for the environment too.”

Alongside Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s grant, RBC received a further £250,000 funding from the Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport through their Swimming Pool Support Fund, administered by Sport England, enabling solar panels to be installed on the roof at Cotgrave Leisure Centre. This has further reduced carbon emissions and lowering running costs to ensure longevity of the facility for the community.