Skip to content
  • The quickest way to pay for your garden waste permit is online. Our phone lines are extremely busy. If you encounter any issues, this may be due to the high volume of users – please try again later. − Pay here: southoxon.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Solar energy is coming to Thame Leisure Centre

Work has begun this week at Thame Leisure Centre to install just over 150 solar panels, reducing the site’s reliance on fossil fuels and lowering its carbon emissions.

The solar panels will cover large areas of the roof space at the centre including the gym and the sports hall. It is estimated the panels will produce 69,000KWh of renewable electricity for the centre. This project follows other work carried out at the site to improve energy efficiency including the installation of LED lighting.

It is anticipated the work to install the solar panels should be completed by early summer 2025. As most of the work will take place outside, it is expected that users will experience minimum disruption. 

The project has been made possible thanks to a successful bid by South Oxfordshire District Council for just over £160,000 from Sport England with the Swimming Pool Support Fund – which invests National Lottery and government money each year.

Andrew Busby, South Oxfordshire District Council Head of Development and Corporate Landlord, said: “It’s great to see this work is now underway at Thame and the switch to solar will continue at some of our other buildings including Cornerstone, Didcot Wave and Parks Sports Centre. All of these changes will help greatly reduce the council’s overall carbon emissions.”

Updated information is available on the progress of the work on the council’s leisure centre webpage.

Notes to editors

The work at the Thame Leisure Centre is being carried out by AIS Limited.

South Oxfordshire District Council was awarded £160,351 by the Sport England with the Swimming Pool Support Fund to help boost their energy efficiency and keep running costs down.

More information on the award is here. You can find out more about the Swimming Pool Support Fund on the Sport England website. 

Sport England is a public body and invests up to £300 million National Lottery and government money each year in projects and programmes that help people get active and play sport. It wants everyone in England, regardless of age, background, or level of ability, to feel able to engage in sport and physical activity. That’s why a lot of its work is specifically focused on helping people who do no, or very little, physical activity and groups who are typically less active – like women, disabled people and people on lower incomes.

*The Value of Swimming Report by Swim England, September 2023