Agenda item

An update report will be presented to the committee by the Leisure Facilities Team Leader, Ben Whaymand, for committee to note.

The report was introduced by the Leisure Facilities Team Leader. He began by outlining that when the climate emergency was declared in 2019 the leisure centres were contributing to 51 per cent of the council’s carbon emissions across the estate. He went on to set out that when leisure centres closed as a result of lockdown joint facilities remained open for the purposes of providing education and whilst the temperatures on pools were turned off they were not emptied due to safety reasons and therefore energy was still required to maintain stabilisation. The Leisure Facilities Team Leader went on to inform the committee that it had not been possible to carry out a comparison to measure the reduction in emissions until comparable data for 2022/23 was available. This comparison showed that there had been a significant reduction in emissions. He went on to confirm that whilst there had been a deed of variation to amend the opening hours of some leisure centres this had only had a small impact on the reduction in emissions as the heating and ventilation requirements had remained the same.

The Leisure Facilities Team Leader went on to highlight the project milestones to the committee. Officers had completed a number of smaller projects across the leisure centres carrying out LED upgrades to the lighting in and around the leisure centres. In addition to this experts had been brought in to carry out flow testing on the swimming pool treatment systems. The reports had allowed for adjustments to be made to the circulation pumps for instance previously they had been operating at 50 per cent overnight but the report showed this could be reduced to 33 per cent. In addition to this destratification fans had recently been installed at White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre which push warm air back down preventing it from being lost. The Leisure Facilities Team Leader advised this had made a saving of 108,000 kwh and was being looked at for Faringdon Leisure Centre as heat was being lost there.

The Leisure Facilities Team Leader informed the committee of future projects the team would be working on. He advised they had been working with consultants to progress projects related to the Salix grant which had been successfully secured. Applications had also been made for the government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund which had been successful.

The Leisure Facilities Team Leader concluded by informing the committee that completed decarbonisation works would ensure a 72 percent carbon reduction by 31 March 2025. He also informed the committee there would be a focus in new contracts on what measures they will be required to deliver and work towards for reductions in carbon emissions.

The committee noted they had been unaware of how much work was going on. The committee asked if as a result of the Joint Use Agreements Oxfordshire County Council would be claiming some of the emission reductions therefore reducing the headline reductions in the officer report. The Leisure Facilities Team Leader confirmed that yes they would be claiming some of the reductions and therefore the overall reductions achieved were higher.

The committee noted there were no figures in the report for oil use at Abbey Meadows pool for summer 2023 but information had been provided on savings which had been made from the pool cover. The Leisure Facilities Team Leader advised that they were waiting for a report from GLL (Better) on the oil consumption which would be shared once received. He informed the committee that the pool cover meant there was no temperature change overnight.

The committee asked the officer if alternatives to chlorine had been used. The Leisure Facilities Team Leader advised that sodium hypochlorite was already being used and White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre already used UV reducing the need for chemicals. Officers were also looking at other options to ensure the reduction in chemical use such as ensuring pool users shower before entering the pool.

The committee further noted that water usage was not shown in the report. The Leisure Facilities Team Leader advised that the reports were produced quarterly and this was something that could be provided moving forward.

The committee asked for specific information on what the Salix grant would achieve. The Leisure Facilities Team Leader advised that at Wantage Leisure Centre installation of brick slip cladding, solar panels on the roof and ground source heat pumps were being looked at. He then advised that at the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre installation of ground source heat pumps and solar panels on the roof were being investigated.