Grantham Meres to benefit from £4m decarbonisation project

A £4million project aims to make a town leisure centre a model for sustainable energy.

South Kesteven District Council is replacing Grantham Meres Leisure Centre’s ageing gas boilers with a state-of-the-art Net Zero Pod.

The new low-carbon system uses air source heat pump technology and natural CO₂ refrigerant to deliver four times the heat for every unit of energy used, far outperforming traditional boilers.

Constructed off-site by Leisure Energy, the pod is designed for leisure and pool environments and will be housed in a stand-alone plant room.

Coun Rhys Baker (Ind), cabinet member for environment, said energy bills had risen sharply.

“This low-carbon heating system has been a major project for us,” he said.

“We wanted to design and install a modern, efficient and cost-effective system to replace gas boilers that were well past their best.

“They needed regular repair and were getting more and more expensive to run.

“Installing this heating system will dramatically lower the centre’s energy bills, reduce its carbon footprint and help meet the council’s target of reducing emissions by 30% by 2030.”

The council secured £3.6million from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and topped up the grant with its own budget.

“It is another significant investment in the district’s leisure facilities in general, and in Grantham Meres Leisure Centre in particular,” Coun Baker added.

“By acting early and looking to the future, we are helping secure Grantham Meres’ sustainability and committing to high-quality, affordable leisure facilities for residents.”

The project, due to finish by March 2026, is expected to cut the centre’s carbon emissions by more than 550 tonnes annually.

It follows the recent installation of 574 solar panels at the site, funded by a £399,000 grant from Sport England.