Cornwall's new 10-year plan for active and sustainable leisure

Cornwall Council’s Cabinet has approved the On the Move Framework for Leisure Activity in Cornwall 2024-2034, a 10-year plan to help everyone in Cornwall be more active, more often.

It aims to create the right support, opportunities, and spaces for people to improve their health and wellbeing. It also recognises the environmental impact of leisure centres, especially those with heated swimming pools, and sets out ways to address their high carbon emissions. Reducing carbon emissions from these facilities is challenging, but significant progress is underway.

Greenwich Leisure Limited, which operates 9 of Cornwall Council’s leisure centres, has made great headway in energy efficiency. Their efforts have led to an impressive 55% reduction in carbon emissions across their sites, helping the environment and protecting against rising energy costs.

By working together on funding bids, Cornwall Council and its partners have been able to secure national funding to support sustainability efforts. In 2024, with support from South West Net Zero Hub, the Council and leisure operators secured £430,000 from the Sport England Swimming Pool Fund to install 35kW solar PV systems across 5 council-owned leisure centres.

This investment is a big step towards making Cornwall’s leisure facilities more energy-efficient and sustainable for the future!