Since the government first announced its Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) in 2020, Britain’s leading leisure development specialist, Alliance Leisure, has been supporting Councils across England to implement energy efficiency measures that will not only help offset rising energy costs but will also reduce the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere, supporting the government’s net zero targets.

To date, Alliance has been involved in multiple PSDS funded projects with a combined value of more than £30 million. Working in partnership with Leisure Energy and delivering works through the UK Leisure Framework, Alliance has made energy efficiencies at 23 leisure venues in partnership with 10 Councils.

Leisure Centres tend to be the most energy intensive assets in a councils’ estate. A recent report by the Association for Public Service Excellence, Local Government Association and Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association, titled Securing the Future of Public Sport and Leisure Services, found leisure facilities are responsible for between 10-40 per cent of district and unitary councils’ direct carbon emissions. With nearly two thirds of leisure facilities past their replacement date, investing in decarbonising schemes is crucial to achieving net zero targets.

Phase one of the PSDS provided £1 billion in grants as part of the Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs 2020 commitment to support economic recovery post COVID-19. This was closely followed by a further £75 million fund with a strong focus on heat decarbonisation to deliver greater carbon emission reductions. Phase 3 offers a further £550 million fund. The first Phase 3 funding application window is now closed. It is anticipated that a second window will open in September this year.

Tom Gardner, Business Development Manager, Alliance Leisure, says: “We have partnered with councils to deliver a variety of outcomes. In some cases we are delivering an end to end solution from funding application and procurement through to scoping and completion of works. In others we are contributing to part of the process.”

Phase 3 works Alliance has been commissioned to deliver across 13 leisure sites are due to complete by the Spring of 2023.