Work to replace the heating system at Loughborough Leisure Centre is due to begin the week commencing 28 September 2026, with completion expected in spring 2027.
Charnwood Borough Council, which owns the centre, has secured funding from the Government's Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to install air source heat pumps in place of the existing gas boilers. The new system is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 452 tonnes a year and lower utility bills by around £66,000 annually.
What the work involves
All gas boilers will be removed and a new separate plant room installed. The project also includes roof, cavity wall and pipework insulation, plus a new energy management system.
This follows solar panel installation on the leisure centre's roof last year, when 216 panels were added thanks to a grant from the Sport England Swimming Pool Support Fund.
Access during construction
Loughborough Leisure Centre will remain open throughout the work and users will continue to have access to all facilities. Around nine parking spaces will be unavailable in the car park during construction. The disabled parking spaces will be temporarily moved to accommodate the work, though the total number of disabled spaces will not be reduced.
The work is being carried out by Leisure Energy Limited. Cllr Beverley Gray, the Council's Lead Member for Climate Action and Net Zero, said the new heating system would "support all of these functions while dramatically cutting carbon emissions" for the building's swimming pool, changing rooms and gym facilities.