Borough Council unveils £3m for leisure centres

More than £3m is set to be invested in leisure centres in the borough after work by borough council officials led to a sizeable grant being secured. 

The sum emerged quickly after an announcement that Victoria Park Leisure Centre in Ilkeston is in line for a £550,139 boost using funding from the Swimming Pool Support Fund, which includes Lottery funding.

The borough council has now followed up by securing even more cash from a different source – meaning an extra £2,601,000 is poised to be spent on making leisure centres in both towns more eco-friendly.

The newly-revealed grant is from a government fund aimed at reducing carbon emissions from publicly-owned buildings.

Erewash has been awarded £2,263,750. Under the deal – which is expected to lead to ongoing savings in energy costs – a £337,250 contribution must be found by the council. Half of the required contribution will come from Parkwood Leisure, which has  a contract with the authority to run the leisure centres. The council will be working closely with Parkwood Leisure and its Legacy Leisure arm to see tight delivery schedules for the improvements are met.

The company’s regional director Francois Smit said: “I am delighted to hear that Erewash Council has secured a significant £3million in funding to upgrade our leisure centres. The money will be invested into making our centres more eco friendly as we continue our collaborative journey alongside the council in reducing emissions at sites.”

Erewash council leader James Dawson said: “The money we have succeeded in winning from not just one but two funds on behalf of the people of Erewash means there is a total of £3,151,139 of investment. Not only does this underline the council’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, it means we can start getting our leisure centres into great shape in terms of a greener future.”