North East Derbyshire District Council is committed to mitigating its environmental impact and adopting more sustainable ways of working in order to achieve its goals and ambitions as set in Climate Change Strategy 2024-2030. We recognise that our Leisure Centres and their operations are crucial in reducing the Council’s overall carbon emissions and contributing to the greener and more environmentally conscientious District.

In order to achieve this, we will use the guiding principles of Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle to improve sustainability and reduce carbon footprint, whilst ensuring the best quality of service is delivered to our customers and balancing the imperatives of cost efficiency with sustainability and environmental best practice.

Operational Practices and Procurement:

We will:

• Comply with all relevant environmental legislation and, where commercially and financially viable, take additional environmental protection and sustainability measures.
• Consider the environmental impact of the end-to-end supply chain in the procurement and contract management process, using local suppliers where financially viable to do so.
• Provide appropriate and proportionate sustainability and climate change awareness to our members of staff.
• Seek to establish Sustainability Champions, leading the way in positive changes required to achieve our sustainability goals and ambitions.
• Promote our sustainability initiatives to our customers utilising digital screens in our leisure centres as well as on our website and across social media channels.

Sustainable Buildings and Spaces:

We will:

• Continue to implement energy efficiency and conservation measures such as LED lights, push taps, pool covers to reduce heat loss, variable speed drives on pool water pumps and reduced power overnight.
• Adopt a fabric first approach to our buildings via insulation improvements, striving for the best energy efficiency to ensure energy use and heat loss is minimised.
• Monitor and present monthly energy consumption reports to Senior Management Team, to ensure transparency and quick response to any discrepancies.
• Ensure environmentally sensitive approach to the maintenance of our Leisure Centres, such as avoiding harsh cleaning chemicals where more environmentally friendly options are efficient and economically viable.
• Keep abreast of new energy efficient technologies and processes, using these whenever possible through potential funding opportunities and a comprehensive capital investment programme.

Low Carbon Transport:

We will:

• Promote and encourage low carbon and active travel options, such as public transport, cycling and walking as a means to access our leisure centres to our members of staff and customers.
• Provide bike storage racks near our leisure centres.

Renewable energy:

We will:

• Use the electricity generated by 100% renewable energy sources.
• Install solar panels and monitor their performance.
• Seek low to no carbon heating via the use of air source heat pumps or similar low carbon heating technologies.

Biodiversity:

We will:

• Where possible encourage biodiversity around our leisure centres by planting more pollinator-friendly plants.
• Evaluate wildflower sowing opportunities.

Waste, Recycling and Pollution:

We will:

• Have adequate recycling facilities across our leisure centre and café.
• Have appropriate signage for recycling bins, so that it is clear which bin to use for recycling and general waste streams.
• Explore and take up initiatives and campaigns aimed to waste minimisation and increased recycling.
• Encourage and promote recycling to our members of staff and customers.
• Minimise paper waste by encouraging digital communications and mindful printing practices.
• Minimise single use plastic waste by encouraging reusable cutlery and water bottle use via communication campaigns.