Hambleton Considering Heat Pumps For Leisure Centres

Hambleton District Council is set to become the first in England to explore the possibility of using ground-source heat pumps to heat its leisure centres and swimming pools.

Richmondshire Today reported on the fact that the local authority has agreed to look into whether it would be cost effective to invest £2.1 million in ground-source heat pumps at three of the area’s leisure centres.

The news provider explained that these commercial heat pumps are installed 20 ft below the ground, where they maintain a constant temperature of between 10 and 16 degrees C, drawing warmth from the ground and feeding it into a building’s heating system.

Councillor Isobel Sanderson told the newspaper that she believes investing in alternative energy is important.

“I think it will show that Hambleton is a forward thinking council,” she stated. Ms Sanderson added: “I understand people are cautious about new technology, but as more and more people buy into this package there are companies out there who deliver on what they say.”

Two local authorities in Scotland – the Isles of Orkney and Aberdeen city councils – have invested in this technology already, but no councils in England have yet taken the leap.

Last month, a report from the Committee on Climate Change stressed the need for the government to start putting infrastructure in place to support alternative heating methods for homes and businesses.

It recommends exploring the use of hydrogen in place of natural gas, which means installing hybrid boilers sooner rather than later to enable the transition.