Swimmers in Banbury may find the swimming pool is warmer this summer at Woodgreen Leisure Centre.
The pool has received an important upgrade with new heat retention covers being installed to keep the water warm when the pool is not being used.
Cherwell District Council’s £58,000 investment in the covers means that less gas will be used for the 50 metre facility.
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Chief executive Yvonne Rees said: “Woodgreen open air pool is a very well used and much loved feature of summer in Banbury.
“As part of our mission to be a carbon neutral council, we’ve been investing in changes to our leisure centres so that they need less fossil fuels to heat.
“These new pool covers arrive after the addition of one of the largest solar thermal installations in the country last July.
“Not only are we using the power of the sun to keep the water warm for our swimmers, we’re now retaining it and making it go further.
"This means we need to use less gas for heating, meaning we are being kinder to the planet.”
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Ms Rees said the council looked forward to giving swimmers an “environmentally friendly welcome”.
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The £58,000 investment comes from Cherwell’s own capital budget and contributions from housing developers.
Woodgreen Leisure Centre also receives annual contributions from Banbury Town Council towards its running costs.
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