Two leisure centres get a cut of £4m eco grant
TWO leisure centres in Blaydon and Dunston are set to receive a cash boost following council approval.
Dunston Leisure Centre and Blaydon Leisure and Primary Care Centre will jointly receive just over £3m to install low-carbon heat pumps.
According to council documents, the cash will help the centres become more energy-efficient and viable in the longer term. The pools are the two largest gas users of the local authority, accounting for 10% of total gas demand.
The money will come from a grant of over £4m grant from the Public Centre Decarbonisation Scheme. The remaining £1.2m of the grant was intended to go to Birtley Swimming Centre, which was closed by Gateshead Council in July 2023, alongside Gateshead Leisure Centre in Saltwell, due to budget cuts.
Since then, the Birtley Community Aquatics Centre has been working to get the pool back up and running.
However, the Birtley pool could not take on the grant as the Aquatic Centre is planning to replace the existing boiler in the pool which would “invalidate” the funding offer, according to council documents.
It was also decided that the risks associated with taking on a £1.2m construction feat, including the potential of cost increases, were “too great”.
The council is now exploring whether that £1.2m can be redistributed to Blaydon or Dunston pools or could fund low-carbon heating installations in other council facilities.
Coun Kevin Dodds, present at the cabinet approval of the funding this week, said: “We have gone through a tremendously difficult period in leisure facilities because of the enormous cuts we have had since the start of austerity. We have desperately tried to retain non-statutory services for people but it has been an uphill struggle.
“Our demand has increased but our resources have decreased. Being able to secure some form of funding is always a pleasure because we want to provide the best services.”