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Leisure Centres in Berinsfield and Henley to benefit from new clean green energy

Multi-million-pound plans have been approved to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions at two South Oxfordshire leisure centres in Berinsfield and Henley.

South Oxfordshire District Council has been successful in its bid for government funding of around £1.5m towards installing energy efficiency measures including double glazing and insulation, as well as solar panels and air source heat pumps to replace end-of-life gas boilers at the leisure centres.

The owners of the buildings, Oxfordshire County Council, will put in £2m towards the improvements, while the district council will fund a further £2.8m from developer contributions. All work should be finished by the end of March 2028.

Redbrick front of sports centre with sign showing the name Abbey Sports Centre

Abbey Sports Centre (above) was built in 1959 as a school, before being converted to a leisure centre in the 1980s. Because of the age of the building, the roof insulation is well below current standards and the centre will benefit from extensive roof renovation to minimise heat loss.   

Plans also include replacing gas heating with air source heat pumps, adding double glazing, insulating the squash court walls and installing solar panels on the roof.  It is projected that the new measures will mean a 75 per cent saving in energy kWh (gas and electricity).

Sincgle storey white wall front of leisure centre with the name Henley Leisure Centre

Built in the 1970s, Henley Leisure Centre has some elderly heating plant – two of the boilers set to be replaced are estimated to be between 22 and 25 years old. Even though the centre is shaded by trees it will still benefit from solar panels. In addition, the council will install air source heat pumps and roof insulation. It is projected that these three measures will bring a 59 per cent per cent saving in energy kWh (gas and electricity).

The funding for the decarbonisation work has been provided from Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme which is delivered by Salix Finance on behalf of the government. The scheme is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. It is aimed at tackling emissions from heating public sector buildings, aid a green recovery and support the UK’s 2050 net zero target and clean growth goals.

Councillor Georgina Heritage, South Oxfordshire District Council Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “We are so pleased that the council has secured the funding that has enabled us to install renewable energy at Abbey Sports Centre and Henley Leisure Centre. This is great news for the community and is the latest in a series of clean green energy improvements at council leisure centres including at Didcot, Thame and Wheatley.”

Councillor Pieter-Paul Barker, South Oxfordshire District Council Cabinet Member for  Finance and Property Assets, said: “The decarbonisation work at all these buildings makes them sustainable both from a climate perspective but also from a financial point of view. The new measures will reduce the substantial energy costs by using less gas and electricity to heat  them.”

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “Climate action remains at the heart of everything we do, and buildings are among our main sources of emissions. By making these two leisure centres more energy efficient, instead of creating CO2 and relying on expensive fossil fuels, they are cutting their emissions and reducing their energy bills. It’s a win-win.”

Director of public sector decarbonisation at Salix Ian Rodger said: “We have no time to stand still when addressing climate change. We must address our carbon emissions today if we are to meet challenging net zero targets set by the UK government.

“We’re delighted to work with South Oxfordshire District Council on this project to create cleaner and greener buildings for the future. It means these leisure centres will not only be more energy efficient but they will be more comfortable places in which to work, visit and enjoy.”

Notes to editors

Solar panels have just been installed at Thame Leisure Centre thanks to a grant from the Swimming Pool Support Fund (part of Sport England).  Work is also underway to install solar panels, air source heat pumps and insulation at Park Sports Centre in Wheatley and Didcot Wave leisure centre. The work at these two sites, like the work at Berinsfield and Henley, is part funded by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

Information from Salix

Salix’s role is to support the UK government in driving the transition to a low carbon future and meet challenging net zero targets. We’re on a mission to save the planet. We deliver and administer grant and loan funding on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and the Scottish and Welsh governments. This is delivered across the public sector as well as housing. The schemes we deliver provide funding for energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects for public sector buildings as well as the housing sector. Our schemes are dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and supporting the government’s ambitious net zero targets. These programmes include the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Home Upgrade Grant, the Low Carbon Skills Fund and Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund. We also play an important role in increasing awareness of energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation across the public sector throughout the UK. Our teams work closely with the public sector organisations throughout their decarbonisation journey, from the moment a grant is allocated to the moment the scheme is fully operational.