Letter: The Elephant in GBC’s Net Zero Room Is Energy-Hungry Spectrum

Published on: 19 Nov, 2022
Updated on: 19 Nov, 2022

From: Ramsey Nagaty

leader of the Guildford Greenbelt Group and borough councillor for Shalford

In response to Dragon Interview: ‘Dream Job’ For Guildford’s New Climate Change Lead, George Potter

The climate change interview with Cllr Potter was extremely topical: the environmental emergency is a critical challenge that we all face. But the elephant in the room for the borough council was not mentioned.

Guildford has an asset used by many across Surrey, from neighbouring counties, and from London. It is coming to the end of its life and is our biggest producer of carbon.

Guildford Spectrum in Stoke Park was opened in 1993. Spectrum is accounts for 50 per cent of the council’s total energy consumption and associated carbon emissions.

I am talking about Spectrum, our leisure centre, which includes a swimming pool, which needs to be heated, an ice ring that needs cooling, and a leaky glass roof.

To maintain key elements of the centre is expensive but to replace it, with a more environmentally friendly design, even more so.

The cost, despite serving the wider community, is likely to fall full squarely on GBC and iIt is critical this issue is addressed to achieve our Climate Change goals.

See also: We’ll Repair Spectrum, Not Build A New One, Says GBC (February 2021).