Cost of living crisis: call for ‘solar powered swimming pools’ in Sheffield

It comes as the council faces extreme budget pressures, rocketing energy costs and efforts to become carbon zero by 2030.

Councillor Marieanne Elliot urged the council to commit to incorporating this and other green technologies such as air sourced heat pumps into new leisure and swimming developments.

She has explored the use of renewable energy in pools and found at least eight other councils using solar and low carbon technology to decrease their energy costs.

She said: “This is exactly the sort of thing we need to be doing to ensure our leisure facilities stay open for the public. Moving away from our reliance on fossil fuels is the most financially viable way forward.”

Exeter City Council recently opened an energy efficient leisure centre, building to the internationally recognised Passivhaus standard, and it is reporting energy savings of 70 percent.

“This is the approach we need in Sheffield,” councillor Elliot said. “I have had assurances from council officers that they are looking at these standards in proposals for Springs, Concord and Hillsborough Leisure Centres. I will be looking closely at how the council proceeds with these and other construction projects.”

Sheffield Council’s leisure strategy

The authority is setting out a new leisure strategy that will see £100 million invested in facilities over the next 30 years.

It comes as Sheffield City Trust – the city’s biggest leisure provider – hands all of the major sport and entertainment venues back to the council.