Cheltenham Zero initiative to reduce energy footprint in leisure, listed and corporate buildings

Grant funding secured from Salix as part of the national Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) will help save money and reduce carbon footprint across seven cherished local buildings.

The carbon neutral Cheltenham report set out an outline roadmap for eliminating Cheltenham borough’s carbon footprint to help enable Cheltenham to achieve its goal of becoming net carbon zero by 2030. The council, in partnership with the Cheltenham Trust has taken another step towards becoming net zero by installing sub-meters at the Pittville Pump Room, Leisure at Cheltenham, the town hall, Municipal Offices, the Prince of Wales Stadium and The Wilson art gallery and museum, as well as the Central Depot.

The sub-meters will feed into a software platform, delivering regular reports showing how much energy is used in each area, making it clear where consumption can be reduced and as a result help to eliminate energy wastage.

Cllr Max Wilkinson, cabinet member for the climate emergency, said: ‘‘The council and the wider borough has a lot of old, draughty buildings that consume a lot of energy, including these seven properties. We believe Cheltenham and particularly its Regency buildings can be an example to others, by working to reduce our own carbon footprint, showing how energy waste can be reduced and then trialling a host of new energy solutions, paving the way for others to follow suit.’’

Mike Redman, director of environment at Cheltenham Borough Council, added: ‘’Efficient use of energy can be a challenge in listed buildings and leisure facilities, due to their historic fabric, legacy equipment and lack of smart monitoring and metering systems.

‘’Without understanding the energy consumption of a property, it is difficult to manage and actively reduce energy wastage. Using these new sub-meters, we will be able to more accurately measure the impact of our current usage and track all the savings we make, both financially and in terms of carbon emissions. We can build a much clearer picture of how to run our buildings in the most effective way in future, as well as positively influencing the actions of staff operating those facilities”.

Laurie Bell, CEO at The Cheltenham Trust, said: “As the lead provider of culture, heritage and leisure in Cheltenham we want to ensure that we do all we can to support the council and its Cheltenham Zero initiative by reducing the energy footprint in the venues that we manage.

“The installation of new electricity sub-meters will enable the trust to monitor and review its usage and take positive steps to reduce its energy footprint.”

To find out more about #CheltenhamZero and the council’s commitment to becoming net zero by 2030 visit www.cheltenham.gov.uk/climate.

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