Hopes For Energy Saving Upgrades At Arklow Leisure Centre.

Arklow Municipal District staff have submitted a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) application to develop a range of energy-saving and accessibility upgrades at Arklow Coral Leisure Centre.

Arklow Municipal District staff have submitted a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) application to develop a range of energy-saving and accessibility upgrades at Arklow Coral Leisure Centre.

The expansive application proposes a suite of improvements at the building’s sports hall and dry centre, including a new roof and flooring, an upgrade of the existing changing rooms and the installation of geothermal heat pumps and solar panels.Significantly, the application also proposes a ‘Changing Places’ toilet facility, which is different from standard accessible toilets, providing extra equipment like a hoist and an adult-sized changing bench.

Outlining her hopes for the “strong” application, District Administrator Alvina Brehony provided local councillors with an overview of the plans at the July Arklow MD meeting, where WCC Assistant Environmental Awareness Officer Jim Callery and Climate Change Coordinator Mark Costello delivered a presentation on the decarbonisation of Arklow.“The Municipal District has put in a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund for a complete upgrade to the sports hall and the dry centre side of the building,” Ms Brehony said.“This will include a new roof, fabric upgrade, new flooring, an upgrade of the existing changing rooms and making safe the balcony, which has been decommissioned for years. We’re also hoping to have a Changing Places unit, which would be the first in the south of the county.