Nearly 1,000 solar panels have been installed across three North Yorkshire leisure facilities in a major green upgrade set to slash electricity bills by over £2 million and cut 2,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over the next 25 years.
The clean energy transformation spans Active North Yorkshire sites in Ripon and Thirsk, alongside Whitby Leisure Centre.
Funded by North Yorkshire Council and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority through Great British Energy’s £1 million Mayoral Renewables Fund, the project accelerates the region’s ambitious drive to become carbon negative by 2040.
Smart Savings for Public Services
By generating their own clean electricity, the council-owned facilities will significantly lower their operational costs. The financial savings will be directly reinvested into other vital public services across the county.
Cllr Carl Les, Leader of North Yorkshire Council, said:
This is a major win for both our environment and our taxpayers. Improving the energy efficiency of our public buildings allows us to generate power cheaply, protect public funds, and redirect critical savings back into areas of need across North Yorkshire.
Breakdown of the Solar Rollout
Contractor BCS Group completed the installations across the three primary hubs:Whitby Leisure Centre: 400+ solar panels installed (transitioning to Active North Yorkshire management next year).Active North Yorkshire Ripon (The Jack Laugher Centre): 265 solar panels installed.Thirsk and Sowerby Leisure and Wellbeing Hub: 149 solar panels installed.
The project forms part of a wider regional scheme launched by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, which allocates funding for solar installations across 16 community buildings.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, added:
Lowering bills means our region’s community hubs can spend less on energy and more on what truly matters—supporting people.
Through the Mayoral Renewables Fund, we are taking practical, step-by-step actions to become England’s first carbon-negative region by 2040.
Part of a Larger £39M Leisure StrategyThe solar rollout coincides with North Yorkshire Council’s broader leisure investment strategy.
Approved last November, the multi-million-pound strategy will inject £36 million into upgrading four key sites in Selby, Skipton, Pickering, and Whitby. An additional £3 million will phase in state-of-the-art gym and fitness equipment upgrades across 12 further council-managed leisure sites.
Adrian Veitch, Operations Director of BCS Group, commented:
We take great pride in supporting the financial and environmental sustainability of these community hubs.
This solar technology will directly lower running costs, ensuring these vital facilities remain resilient and affordable for the public.
