Several Sussex Swimming Pools To Receive Funding Boost

Swimming pools in Sussex will receive a share of the £20 million national fund being delivered by Sport England for energy efficiency savings, in response to increased operating costs.

Money from the Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF) means that several swimming pools across Sussex will receive a boost to ensure their pools can continue to provide vital services to residents.

Eastbourne Borough Council and Motcombe Pool Community Interest Company (CIC) successfully secured £227,690 from the fund.

The Sovereign Centre has been awarded £91,990, out of which £65,990 will go towards replacing gas boilers that are more than 20 years old and £26,000 will be spent on replacing old fluorescent lighting with LED lighting.

Councillor Margaret Bannister, Cabinet Member for Tourism, Leisure, Accessibility and Community Safety, said: 

“Hundreds of people of all ages use the Sovereign Centre every day, from youngsters learning to swim to older residents staying active, and this funding will help us pay rising energy and maintenance costs so that everyone can keep swimming.”

Meanwhile, Motcombe Pool has been granted £135,700 from the same fund.

The ageing King Alfred swimming pool in Brighton has also received a share of the funding, to the tune of £205,000, which will help to prolong its life.

The funding, from Phase 2 of the SPSF, will go towards replacing two of the 40-year-old boilers with new, more sustainable, energy efficient models.

The support will help to keep the King Alfred pool open and operational while a decision is made on replacing the centre with a new state of the art leisure facility.

Councillor Alan Robins, chair of the Culture, Heritage, Sports, Tourism and Economic Development Committee, said: 

“We will continue to do everything we can to keep the centre open for as long as possible, so residents continue to enjoy swimming, while we progress our exciting plans to build a new leisure centre.” 

Wealden District Council announced a £70,000 share of the pot today, which they say will help implement interventions to help improve energy efficiency at Hailsham Leisure Centre – run in partnership with Freedom Leisure – and assist the council to meet its commitment to being carbon net zero by 2050 or sooner.

The interventions include installation of PV solar to offset grid electricity usage and installing a pool cover which will reduce the heat loss from the pool, in turn reducing gas consumption and associated costs for heating the pool. 

Seahaven Swim and Fitness Centre in Newhaven has been given a boost after Lewes District Council successfully secured £149,650 from the fund.

The centre was awarded £109,650 towards Photo Voltaic (PV) panels for heating the water and £40,000 for pool covers.

Hastings Borough Council received £266,573, which they say will be used for additional photovoltaic panels (£126,984) and replacement boilers (£139,589) at Summerfields Leisure Centre. They say these will reduce the energy consumption level of the facility, which will help with financial sustainability and reduce the carbon output.

Chichester’s Westgate Leisure Centre has also been successful with its bid for funding. 

The Council will now work with the leisure operator, Everyone Active, which manages Westgate Leisure Centre, The Bourne in Southbourne, and The Grange Community and Leisure Centre in Midhurst on the council’s behalf to deliver the project.

It's had been awarded just over £57,000, which will be used to cover the cost of installing a pool cover and shower flow restrictors. It is estimated that using a pool cover overnight and while the pool is not being used will reduce the centre’s electricity usage by 5% while the shower flow restrictors will reduce water consumption by 3%.

Stuart Mills, Everyone Active Area Contract Manager, said:

“We are delighted the council has been successful in Phase II of the funding and it is great news that this project will further reduce the centre’s carbon footprint.

“As a result of the energy crisis, we as an organisation have seen our energy bills more than double. The implementation of a pool cover and shower flow restrictors at Westgate Leisure Centre marks a significant step towards reducing the leisure centre’s carbon footprint and simultaneously lowering energy costs."