Solar panels added to leisure centres to cut costs

Hundreds of solar panels have been installed on top of two Staffordshire leisure centres to help cut carbon emissions and lower energy costs.

Freedom Leisure (FL), which manages both the Stafford and Stone centres on behalf of Stafford Borough Council, worked with the authority to secure government funds to invest in 650 panels.

The authority said the renewable energy source would help the centres' reduce their reliability on traditional electricity sources and increase sustainability.

Councillor Gillian Pardesi said the council's partnership with FL was boosting the authority's aim of reaching net zero.

Angela Brown, FL's head of sustainability and environmental, said the installation demonstrated their joint commitment to sustainability" and their "collective approach to reducing carbon emissions".

The commitment was particularly important for aquatic facilities where energy demands are "typically high", in order to maintain the heating and ventilation of the pool environments, Ms Brown added.

The borough council said the project was "part of a broader effort" to make authority-run facilities more energy efficient and ensure they remain sustainable for years to come.

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