Solar panel project at Harvey Hadden Sports Village will move council ‘in right direction’ for carbon neutral 2028 target
By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
A £400,000 solar panel project at Harvey Hadden Sports Village will help move Nottingham City Council “in the right direction” towards its carbon neutral 2028 target.
In 2019, the council declared a climate and ecological emergency and set an ambition to become the first carbon neutral city in the UK by 2028.
It means any carbon dioxide emissions put into the atmosphere will be offset through activities and projects to reduce them.
However in April the authority said it was holding on to the goal by its “fingertips”, amid huge financial problems that led to the declaration of effective bankruptcy in November.
To help push the city further towards the goal, an existing solar panel canopy in Harvey Hadden’s car park and a roof-mounted solar PV system will be improved.
The facility, which features a 10-court sports hall, gym and a 50-metre swimming pool, accounts for almost five per cent of the authority’s entire annual energy consumption.
The project was approved at a Commissioning and Procurement Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday, October 15.
Cllr Linda Woodings (Lab), executive member for finance and chair of the committee, said: “I think it is absolutely wonderful. It is moving us in the right direction for our carbon neutral 2028 target as well.
“I remember we had to make a decision a couple of years ago to turn the degrees down in the swimming pool by one degree to save a bit of money. It is really great we have got a renewable source of energy power at Harvey Hadden Sports Village.”
The council says the project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 53.1 tonnes annually, and projected savings are in the region of £3,659,980 in electricity and £315,907 in gas over 30 years.
It will be funded through the Salix Recycling Fund, which provides ring-fenced funding in the form of a conditional repayable grant.
Money is then matched by the participating public services board to create a low-carbon fund, called a Local Fund, and financial savings made from projects are paid back into the fund to pay for more energy-saving projects.
A Local Fund between the council and Salix Finance was first set up in 2009, each providing equal contributions, creating a fund with a total value of £1.5m.
Installation of the new solar PV system is expected to begin late January next year, with completion by March.
Cllr Cheryl Barnard (Lab) added: “I really welcome this. It is a really good project for us to have.”
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