The work of Torbay Council, Parkwood Leisure and energy consultancy Leisure Energy has been recognised at the 2022 Energy Awards for the work to improve energy efficiency at Torbay Leisure Centre. The winners were announced at a ceremony in London.

As part of Torbay Council’s work to tackle climate change, a new more environmentally friendly air source heat pump has been installed at Torbay Leisure Centre to replace the existing gas boiler system, along with new solar panels, LED lighting and more, with almost £2m funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), secured by the site’s operator Parkwood Leisure.

The project was one of the key actions outlined in Torbay Council’s Initial Carbon Neutral Action Plan launched in 2021. The Council is working with partners to make Torbay Carbon Neutral by 2030 and in March 2022 a new Carbon Neutral Council Action Plan and Policy was agreed. The next step is to co-develop a new Carbon Neutral Torbay Action Plan led by Torbay Climate Partnership, which is made up of public, private and community sector representatives across the Bay.

To reduce the running costs of the new system, secondary technologies were also installed to generate renewable electricity and improve the efficiency of other plant operations. These included solar panels, LED lighting, ventilation and pipework upgrades, as well as a new building energy management system. All work was completed while the leisure centre remained open and operational throughout – a testament to the hard work of the staff at the site. The project has resulted in a saving of 318 tonnes of CO₂, equivalent to 60% of the annual carbon emissions associated with the operation of Torbay Leisure Centre.

Steve Darling, Leader of Torbay Council, said: ““We are absolutely delighted that Torbay has won this award in recognition of efforts by partners to tackle climate change – this shows the power of partnership working.”

Councillor Mike Morey, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture, Torbay Council, said: “Reducing carbon emissions within the Torbay area remains a high priority of ours and I am pleased to hear of the success of our decarbonisation grant application. We aim to be carbon neutral by 2030 and this project will play a vital role in achieving that objective.”

Glen Hall, Managing Director of Parkwood Leisure, said: “This award is a fantastic way to recognise and celebrate our extensive energy management initiatives throughout the estate and in particular the work with Torbay Council and Leisure Energy. We’re incredibly proud of this project and the benefits it’s created for Torbay Leisure Centre, and it demonstrates our commitment to the extensive support we provide to our customers.”

Neil Bland, Managing Director of Leisure Energy, said: “We are really delighted to have won Energy Efficiency Partnership of the Year at The Energy Awards 2022 for the energy efficiency installations at Torbay Leisure Centre. It has been a pleasure to work in partnership with Parkwood Leisure, an excellent leisure facility operator, and Torbay Council, a forward thinking local authority, both of which are wholly committed to reducing energy usage and lowering carbon emissions.”

Join the Community Climate Conversation!

A series of ‘climate conversations’ have been held in Torbay to discuss priorities and listen to your suggestions for how we can make Torbay Carbon Neutral by 2030. There are still a few places left on the Community Climate Conversation event this Saturday 9 July at the Scala Hall in Brixham from 10am to 1pm. You can sign up for the event via our Eventbrite page.