Improvements will be made to the swimming pool at Wells Leisure Centre with the help of new grant funding.

Somerset Council has been awarded £316,700 of grant funding from Phase 2 of the government's Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF). 

The ringfenced money from Sport England and the National Lottery will be used to install new energy efficiency measures in four Somerset leisure centres.

Wells Leisure Centre and Frome Leisure Centre run by Fusion Lifestyle will get new swimming pool covers and Photovoltaic (PV) Panels installed on the roofs.

Chard Leisure Centre and Goldenstones Leisure Centre in Yeovil run by Freedom Leisure will have destratification fans installed.

Somerset Council has previously been awarded £211,208 in 2023 as part of SPSF Phase 1 funding which supported five Somerset swimming pools with the increase in pool chemical and utilities costs. Learn more here: www.somerset.gov.uk/news/swimmingpoolsupportfund.

Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts, Lead Member for Communities, Housing and Culture, said: "We welcome this exciting grant funding from Sport England and the National Lottery and look forward to working with Freedom Leisure and Fusion Lifestyle to invest in these crucial energy efficiency measures.

"Sustainability is a core value for us, and these upgrades will not only future-proof our buildings but also significantly reduce their environmental impact.

"We're delighted that residents will soon have access to facilities equipped with cutting-edge technology, promoting both physical health and overall wellbeing."

Cllr Dixie Darch, Lead Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: "We're committed to doing what we can to make Somerset a greener, more sustainable place.

"To have these energy saving measures installed at no cost to the council is fantastic news, and possible thanks to the hard work of staff bidding for grants like this."

Find out more about the SPSF scheme here: www.gov.uk/government/news/more-than-300-swimming-pools-to-benefit-from-60-million-to-support-long-term-future.