Solar Power Investment Brings Huge Savings to Scarborough and Whitby Community Buildings

A million-pound investment in solar technology is set to slash running costs and carbon emissions at key community facilities across the Yorkshire Coast, including sites in Scarborough and Whitby.

Community facilities across the Yorkshire Coast are set to benefit from major reductions in energy bills and carbon emissions following a million-pound investment in solar technology.

A Great British Energy grant of £1,063,000 has supported the installation of solar panels on the rooftops of sixteen community buildings, with a strong focus on sites in Scarborough and Whitby.

Among the coastal locations benefiting from the renewable energy rollout are the Eastfield Local Police Office in Scarborough, alongside the Whitby Leisure Centre and the Whitby Maritime Hub.

The successful delivery of the projects comes less than a year after the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced the funding, with estimates suggesting the total savings across all projects will reach £4 million over the lifetime of the technology.

David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:

"Lowering bills and improving our environment means that 16 of our community buildings will spend less on energy and more on what matters – supporting people. Through the Mayoral Renewables Fund, we are moving in the right direction, towards becoming the first region in England to reach carbon negative by 2040. It’s a big goal, but it’s one we can reach one step at a time, all while supporting our communities right across York and North Yorkshire."

The solar panels fitted at the Eastfield Local Police Office are part of a wider initiative by North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, who have upgraded six facilities in total.

The emergency services estimate that the Mayoral Renewables Fund will enable a total saving of more than 2,000 tonnes of carbon emissions and over £2.5 million in electricity charges over the next twenty-five years.

Chris Pearson, Director of Estates and Sustainability for North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Support Services, said:

"The police and fire services are seeing an immediate benefit of the scheme, with their joint Transport and Logistics Hub in Thirsk being powered entirely by renewable solar electricity during daytime hours in the first couple of weeks of April. Over the next few years this will significantly reduce both organisations' greenhouse gas emissions and help them achieve their decarbonisation targets."

North Yorkshire Council has also utilised the funding to upgrade its facilities, including the Whitby Leisure Centre and the Whitby Maritime Hub, to provide cheaper ways of generating energy.

North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Councillor Carl Les, said:

"This funding is vital to help to continue our work to ensure that North Yorkshire is a more environmentally friendly place to live, work and visit. We are investing in green technology such as solar panels at our Active North Yorkshire health and wellbeing hubs in Ripon and Thirsk and our leisure centre in Whitby through the funding. This will help to not only protect the environment, but it will also mean that we can provide cheaper ways of generating energy, cutting our bills and allowing money to be invested in key services."

While coastal towns are seeing significant upgrades, the funding has also been distributed to other parts of the region to help achieve decarbonisation targets.

Councillor Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency, said:

"The Mayoral Renewables Fund has helped install solar panels on schools, leisure centres and community buildings across our city, cutting energy bills and carbon emissions at the same time. This means more money to spend on schoolbooks and swimming pools, cleaner air, and more money for frontline services that people rely on. Working with the Combined Authority and our partners, York is helping to lead the way in building a cleaner, more resilient future for the whole region."

Paul Bickle, Partnership Manager at GLL, said:

"The Yearsley Pool project is a fantastic example of partnership working. By securing this funding with the support of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, and our local authority colleagues, we’ve been able to take a major step toward reducing both our environmental impact and operating costs. With rising energy prices placing real pressure on community facilities, the savings generated by this solar installation are significant and will help protect the future of Yearsley Pool for the people of York."

The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority is currently seeking the views of residents for its draft Strategy for a Sustainable Future.

When published, the document will guide the ambition for the area to become England’s first carbon-negative region by 2040, with a public consultation currently underway.