Leatherhead Leisure Centre Solar Panel Plan Nears Approval After Four Years

The effort to implement solar panels at the Leatherhead Leisure Centre car park, a process spanning four years, has resulted in mixed feelings of “disappointed and very excited” among the project’s proponents. Since declaring a climate emergency in 2019, Mole Valley District Council has been working to reduce its carbon emissions, aiming to achieve net zero by the year 2030. A pilot scheme, which is now poised for approval, has prompted some to express a desire for a “far more expansive” deployment, particularly as funding has been secured for only 20 parking bays. The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that electricity generated by these panels will contribute to powering the leisure centre, though it will not meet the facility’s complete energy requirements. Projections indicate that the solar panels will generate approximately 2.7% of the centre’s annual electricity consumption. Councillor Claire Malcomson, the cabinet member for climate change, commented: “I’m disappointed and very excited about this because at long last we’re going to be doing it, I would love it to be far more expansive but it is only a pilot therefore hopefully it’s going to open some really good doors for us.” The ultimate endorsement of these plans is contingent upon approval from the cabinet.