25 Mar 2022
Council’s building decarbonisation programme hits major milestone with more than half of upgrades complete
A major programme to install £25.3m of green upgrades across 40 public buildings has hit a significant milestone with Leeds City Council confirming that installation work has now completed at more than half of the sites.
Eight leisure centres, twelve primary schools, four homes for older people, two popular attractions, four civic buildings, a children’s centre, a community hub, and six other council-owned buildings across the city are all receiving upgrades.
When work completes in June the scheme is expected to have reduced the city’s carbon footprint by more than 4,000 tonnes each year.
To mark this milestone, representatives of Leeds City Council including leader Cllr James Lewis, and council partners Cenergist and Equans visited Kippax and Rothwell leisure centres where work is well underway.
Significant upgrades are taking place at both sites, with the installation of 809 solar photovoltaic panels and 4 heating pumps across the two leisure centres. These upgrades will reduce the carbon footprint across the two sites by 480 tonnes annually once completed.
The work complements the internal refurbishment to the centres including work taking place to improve facilities for users such as renovating changing rooms and the pool side areas.
In total more than 7,500 solar photovoltaic panels are being installed as part of the programme. The panels mean that dozens of council buildings will soon become part—or on good days fully—powered by local renewable electricity, helping to reduce the council’s reliance on increasingly expensive and less clean energy imported from the national networks.
61 new heat pumps and 4 new connections to the low carbon Leeds PIPES district heating network will also reduce the council’s use of gas combustion boilers, helping the authority save money and improve local air quality.
Leeds City Council successfully bid for the funding last year as part of the ‘Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme’ from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
The programme has helped to stimulate and create skilled local jobs in Leeds’ growing green economy. Because of the council’s investment in sustainable heating, Cenergist, a key private sector partner recruited 27 new staff in Leeds and opened its first office in the city last year.
Speaking on site Councillor James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council said:
“Leisure centres play a key role in Leeds’s sporting life, we are proud of their track record of inspiring and training the next generation of sporting stars, as well as helping residents to live healthier, more active lifestyles.
“It is really pleasing to see the progress being made across the city through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and I look forward to seeing the schemes impact on tackling the climate emergency.”
Notes for editors:
Full list of buildings and key work taking place as part of Leeds City Council’s PSDS1 programme:
|
|
Key upgrades |
Planned completion of install |
Annual carbon saving |
|
Adel Primary School |
122 solar PV panels; |
Already completed |
36 |
|
Bardsey Primary School (Upper and Lower) |
282 solar PV panels; |
June 2022 |
60 |
|
Churwell Primary School |
219 solar panels; |
Already completed |
50 |
|
Farsley Farfield School (Infant and Junior) |
348 solar PV panels; |
June 2022 |
47 |
|
Hollybush Primary School |
703 solar PV panels; |
Already completed |
69 |
|
Kerr Mackie Primary School |
218 solar PV panels; |
June 2022 |
46 |
|
Rosebank Primary School |
54 solar PV panels; |
Already completed |
89 |
|
Manston Primary School |
131 solar PV panels; |
Already completed |
29 |
|
Moortown Primary School |
LED lighting; |
Already completed |
4 |
|
Seacroft Grange Primary School |
240 solar PV panels; |
June 2022 |
28 |
|
St James’ CofE Primary School |
119 solar PV panels; |
Already completed |
31 |
|
Valley View Primary School |
252 solar panels; |
Already completed |
49 |
|
Hawksworth Wood Children’s Centre |
2 air source heat pumps; |
Already completed |
75 |
|
Aireborough Leisure Centre |
2 air source heat pumps; |
June 2022 |
166 |
|
Kirkstall Leisure Centre |
544 solar PV panels; |
June 2022 |
166 |
|
John Smeaton Leisure Centre |
340 solar PV panels; |
June 2022 |
145 |
|
Kippax Leisure Centre |
209 solar PV panels; |
June 2022 |
190 |
|
John Charles Centre for Sport - Bowls and Athletics Centre |
880 solar PV panels; |
Already completed |
72 |
|
John Charles Centre for Sport - Tennis Centre |
568 solar PV panels; |
Already completed |
568 |
|
John Charles Centre for Sport – Aquatics Centre |
4 air source heat pumps; |
Already completed |
399 |
|
Rothwell Leisure Centre |
600 solar panels; |
June 2022 |
290 |
|
Scott Hall Leisure Centre |
2 air source heat pumps; |
Already completed |
179 |
|
Wetherby Leisure Centre |
2 air source heat pumps; |
June 2022 |
186 |
|
Spring Gardens (HOP) |
76 solar PV panels; |
June 2022 |
71 |
|
Knowle Manor (HOP) |
116 solar PV panels; |
June 2022 |
77 |
|
Recovery Hub at South Leeds (HOP) |
119 solar PV panels; |
Already completed |
67 |
|
Recovery Hub at North West Leeds (HOP) |
2 air source heat pumps; |
Already completed |
68 |
|
Tropical World |
2 air source heat pumps; |
June 2022 |
260 |
|
Temple Newsam |
240 solar PV panels; |
June 2022 |
211 |
|
Killingbeck Court Units 1&2 (council building) |
128 solar PV panels; |
Already completed |
5 |
|
Leeds Building Services Seacroft Depot (council building) |
300 solar PV panels; |
April 2022 |
30 |
|
Tribeca House (council building) |
48 solar PV panels; |
Already completed |
6 |
|
Waterside (council building) |
278 solar PV panels; |
Already completed |
6 |
|
Westland Rd (council building) |
232 solar PV panels ; |
Already completed |
5 |
|
Waste Depot (council building) |
Solar PV panels (exact number tbd); |
June 2022 |
4 |
|
St George's Centre Community Hub/Library |
228 solar PV panels; |
Already completed |
4 |
|
Civic Hall |
Connection to Leeds PIPES network ; |
June 2022 |
93 |
|
Town Hall |
Connection to Leeds PIPES network; |
June 2022 |
69 |
|
City Museum |
Connection to Leeds PIPES network; |
June 2022 |
45 |
|
Central Library/ Gallery |
Connection to Leeds PIPES network; |
March 2022 |
39 |
|
TOTAL |
7594 solar PV panels; |
|
4034 |
For media enquiries contact:
Chad Newton
Leeds City Council
chad.newton@leeds.gov.uk