Community campaign celebrates progress towards net zero in Reading

Community venue that’s hosted world-famous comedians including the late great Joan Rivers and Rik Mayall is set for sustainability upgrades

A decarbonisation project at Reading’s Hexagon Theatre is amongst projects being celebrated in a council-driven sustainability campaign.

Located in the south east of England, Reading is home to an estimated 178,000 residents living in around 67,700 households.

Reading Borough Council, who support these residents, has set a target to reach net zero by 2030.

To achieve this, the council has recognised the necessity to upgrade its estate for many years. Its vast estate encompasses dozens of buildings including schools, libraries, offices, community halls, entertainment venues and more.

Amongst venues more recently identified as suitable for upgrades that would yield substantial carbon savings is the Hexagon Theatre. Built in 1977, this iconic community venue is situated in the heart of Reading and has hosted some of the world’s biggest musicians, comedians and performers, including The Smiths, Joan Rivers, Rik Mayall and French and Saunders.

Councillor John Ennis, Reading’s lead councillor for climate strategy and transport, said: “The Hexagon Theatre offers a great variety of entertainment, ranging from big name comedians to classical concerts and from pantos to musicals. Many people will also remember it as the home of the Grand Prix snooker tournament in the 80s and 90s.

“As well as attracting visitors from far and wide, the Hexagon holds a special place in the hearts of many Reading people who have fond memories of visiting when they were children and are still coming to see fantastic shows today.”

The sustainability project at the theatre will see fossil fuel boilers replaced and supplemented with a ground source heat pump. Additional measures include loft insulation, LED lighting upgrades and the installation of solar PV.

With a total project value estimated at £1.7 million, the council was awarded £1.2 million to support the works through Phase 3c of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. Our Salix teams deliver funding for this scheme on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Council energy experts estimate that that the upgrades, once complete, will save the council £22,000 in energy bills and 144 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. 

A 144-tonne reduction in annual carbon emissions is equivalent to 72,000 per-passenger air miles – enough to get you from London to New York 21 times*.

The project has now been picked to showcase, educate and inspire residents on the topics of decarbonisation and climate change, as part of the month-long sustainability campaign.

Councillor Ennis added: "The council is already making excellent progress with the decarbonisation of its major buildings and the Hexagon Theatre project will help us take another big step towards our ambitious aim for Reading to be a net zero town.

“November’s campaign aims to encourage climate conversations among residents and communities, offer advice on being climate ready, celebrate the great work of local organisations and showcase the progress of the council and the town in its response to the climate emergency.” 

As a part of the campaign, the council is set to celebrate its own achievements, specifically the inspirational 73% reduction in its own carbon emissions across the last 14 years.

Kiara Sagoo, our client support officer who is supporting the council, said: “Reading Borough Council has made an incredible amount of progress towards its net zero ambitions, with the Hexagon Theatre project further contributing to its carbon reduction targets.

“It is fantastic to see the council celebrate its achievements to date while working to educate residents on the importance of the work being completed and what they can do on a personal scale to address the issue of climate change.”

This 74% reduction has been credited, in part, to government funding schemes that have enabled the acceleration of energy efficiency and decarbonisation programmes. This includes the Salix Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme (SEELS), Low Carbon Skills Fund, England Recycling Fund and earlier phases of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. Our Salix teams deliver funding for these schemes on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Works through the council’s England Recycling Fund have been directly credited with a 2,167-tonne reduction in annual carbon emissions and £384,198 reduction in energy bills every year. A 2,167-tonne reduction in carbon emissions is equivalent to the carbon absorption capacity of 6,545 trees*. 

You can read more about how the England Recycling Fund supported progression against its net zero ambitions via a recent news story on our website.

About the Salix Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme (SEELS)

• The Salix Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme, otherwise known as ‘SEELS’, provided zero-interest loans to the public sector to facilitate energy efficiency improvement projects that result in financial and carbon savings and contribute towards achieving their net-zero aspirations.
• Through the scheme, we delivered £178.4 million in funding to eligible public sector organisations across England. As with many of the other schemes we deliver, this funding was delivered on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
• Through this scheme a total of 527 projects were completed. Together, these projects are estimated to save organisations a total of £33.8 million in annual energy bills and 59,867 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.

About the England Recycling Fund

• The England Recycling Fund is a loan-based, ring-fenced fund, created with capital provided on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero through Salix, and matched by the public sector organisation. It encourages organisations to re-invest financial savings that result from projects into further decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects, thus operating in a cyclic “recycled” manner. 
• The scheme has been closed to new applications since 2010. However, since that time we have continued to support organisations with open funds to complete thousands of projects worth more than £267 million through the scheme. 
• The average fund has been recycled more than three times, and, when combined, our recycling fund projects save over 296,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every single year.
• The fund is closing at the end of the 2024/25 financial year, with any projects funded through the scheme required to complete by 31 March 2025.

*Carbon calculations have been generated through a tool created by our carbon and technical experts here at Salix. The intention is to provide carbon savings estimates to aid with a common understanding of emission data and statistics. These estimates are approximate; it is not recommended to use this tool for formal carbon emissions analysis. The tool uses UK government conversion factors alongside emissions estimates sourced from various studies, but it is possible a margin of error may exist. For more information about the formulas and methodology used in this tool, please contact us at [email protected]. E&OE.