Solar energy comes to the Dukeries Leisure Centre and Sconce and Devon Park.

Work to install the panels at both sites were complete this week.  The popular leisure centre in Ollerton was the fourth site to be completed out of the total five sites being fitted with solar PV panels with the café and buildings at Sconce and Devon Park being the fifth site. Solar panels have already been installed at Newark Sports and Fitness Centre, the Newark Beacon and the café and buildings at Vicar Water Country Park. 

200 solar panels have been fitted at the Dukeries Leisure Centre and they are estimated to generate over 70,000 kWh per year which equates to over 15,000 kg of CO₂ each year.  This is the equivalent of driving 93,600 km in a diesel car or electricity for 25 three bed semis for a year.  An additional 53 solar panels were also fitted on buildings at Sconce and Devon Park this week.

Councillor Susan Crosby, Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Leisure at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “I’m thrilled to see solar energy brought to two more of our sites which brings us another step closer towards creating a greener and more sustainable future for Newark and Sherwood. 

“Leisure Centres play an important role in the health and wellbeing of our residents and it is vital that we do all we can to reduce their carbon footprint.  I’m looking forward to seeing what results we can achieve now that these installations are complete, and how this larger scale, long-term investment will further our efforts towards achieving our carbon net zero goals.”

The Dukeries Leisure Centre in Ollerton is owned by Newark and Sherwood District Council and managed by Active4Today.  It offers a fantastic leisure facility to local residents and includes a gym, swimming pool, sports hall and studio. 

Councillor Andy Freeman, Chair of Active4Today said, “It’s fantastic to see how our leisure centres can have such an important role in supporting the district’s carbon neutral goals and I’m delighted to see solar energy being brought to the Dukeries. We know how vital it is that we continue to work towards reducing our carbon footprint and I’m so pleased to see these solar panel installations, as part of the District Council’s programme of work, will help us do just that.”

After declaring a Climate Emergency in 2019, the District Council is doing all it can to reduce its carbon footprint and these installations are part of a number of new initiatives being implemented to reduce carbon emissions by 2,165 tCO2e, which is the equivalent of an average family diesel car driving 12.99 million miles**. Other work includes planting a record number of trees, with a target of 10,000 already surpassed with 22,204 trees given away to be planted or planted by the Council so far. It is also deploying electric vehicles and carbon neutral forms of transport to its fleet. Further plans to decarbonise Council owned buildings were approved in September 2023, and work to decarbonise social housing is already moving forward.

Carbon net zero means that any carbon emissions created are balanced out by taking the same amount out of the atmosphere. Net zero will be reached once the amount of carbon emissions added is no more than the amount removed.

To achieve the targets, and to ensure ongoing transparency, the District Council will be recording its carbon footprint on an annual basis so that progress can be measured and monitored.

To find out more about the District Council’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2035, visit newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/climatechange

** This figure is derived from the NSDC Climate Emergency strategy published September 2020, ‘One tonne of CO2e (tCO2e) is the equivalent to the average emissions of one passenger on a return-flight from Paris to New York or driving 6000 km in a diesel car.’