North Northamptonshire pools awarded £300K funding

10 April 2024

Two swimming pools will soon boost energy efficiency and reduce running costs, thanks to a successful application to Phase II of the Government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF).

The £303,482 from SPSF will benefit Corby’s East Midlands International Pool and Rushden’s Splash Leisure Pool.

Energy saving projects will now be developed to install a pool cover on the 20m Pool, as well as LED lighting, at Corby East Midlands International Pool, run by North Northants Leisure.

Splash Leisure Pool, managed on behalf of the council by Freedom Leisure, will be able to replace their gas boilers, as well as scope out the potential installation of photovoltaic (solar) rooftop panels. 

These projects will make a real difference to the energy consumption at Corby’s East Midlands International Pool and Rushden’s Splash Leisure Pool.

Pools consume a lot of energy as machinery must be run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to keep them operational.

This funding ensures that these two pools can reduce running costs and continue to be vital community hubs providing our residents with access to water to improve their physical and mental health and have fun together as families.

We will continue to search out, and bid for, additional funding opportunities, to enable us to make further improvements and cost savings. Cllr Helen Howell, Deputy Leader of North Northamptonshire Council and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism

We recognise that we need to implement energy saving opportunities wherever possible in the leisure sector, especially those centres with pools.

This is key to decreasing our carbon emissions for the future, so I am delighted we have been awarded this funding.

Making innovative changes to the way these buildings are operated ensures that we continue to reduce our carbon footprint and supports our goal of North Northamptonshire Council becoming carbon neutral by 2030.Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council

The Government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund provides a support package of £60 million to local authorities in England as for public leisure facilities with swimming pools.

Phase II saw £40m available from the government for capital investment to improve the energy efficiency of public facilities with pools in the medium to long term.