Hundreds of solar panels worth more than £500,000 to be installed at Harborough Leisure Centre

Harborough Leisure Centre is to have more than £500,000 worth of solar panels installed on its roof.

An application for £535,773 has been granted to Harborough District Council and leisure centre operators Everyone Active by Sport England to fit solar panels to the roof and install energy-saving LED lighting throughout the centre.

Nearly 800 panels will be fitted to the roof which the authority says will save £68,000 annually and energy savings equivalent to 2,873 trees being planted.

Council deputy leader Simon Galton said: “The grant funding will complement the planned refurbishment work at Harborough Leisure Centre and further support the council’s ongoing commitment to fighting climate emergency by reducing emissions, switching to renewable energy, and delivering significant long-term financial and energy savings.”

Harborough District Council says the application was part of its work to reduce its emissions to net zero by 2030 after declaring a Climate Emergency in 2019.

Everyone Active contract manager Matthew Hopkin added: “We are delighted to have supported Harborough District Council’s successful bid for Sport England funding and it is great news this project will further reduce the centre’s carbon footprint.

“Everyone Active is proud to work alongside the council, as part of our Net Zero Strategy, to help achieve our company’s net zero ambitions.”

The Sports England funding comes after a £5.9million capital investment into the district council’s two leisure centres, at Lutterworth and Market Harborough, after it was agreed Everyone Active would be awarded the 15 year contract.

At Harborough Leisure Centre works will include removing and replacing the aged dome which hosts tennis and netball games, making use of the bowls hall for children’s soft play when the hall is not use, and at Lutterworth a new soft play area will be installed.

There will also be increased gym stations and inflatables for the swimming pools at both centres.

Council leader Cllr Phil Knowles said: “Upgrades are planned at both Lutterworth Sports Centre and Harborough Leisure Centre with new, additional outreach opportunities being developed to support the mental and physical wellbeing of residents across the whole district."