Parking disruption as decarbonisation works set to begin

Work is due to get under way to install ground and air source heat pumps in two leisure centre car parks in Devon.

People have been encouraged to plan for disruption at both Exe Valley and Lords Meadow car parks.

While work is undertaken, parking at the two leisure centres will be severely limited, Mid Devon District Council said.

The new pumps will allow both sites to move away from high cost fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.

The work is set to be financed by the local authority using £2.8m of funding secured from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as part of its public sector decarbonisation scheme.

Mid Devon District Council said work at the car parks involved drilling deep bore holes underground to access the heat.

It said this meant leisure customers would need to find alternative parking or walk, cycle or arrange to be dropped off.

Anyone who still needed to drive to the facilities has been advised to plan for it to take extra time.

The local authority confirmed facilities would remain open as normal while the work was being carried out.

Councillor Dennis Knowles, cabinet member for community wellbeing, said: "This work shows we are investing in our community facilities, future proofing them for our customers, reducing our long term energy costs and moving towards our carbon neutral ambitions.

"But we also know this work will also be frustrating for our customers who will face some disruption outside the buildings and we apologise for that."

The work is anticipated to be completed in early December.

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