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They call it the Big Blue Building - but Staveley's new Healthy Living Centre couldn't be more GREEN!
The £8m centre in the heart of Staveley is packed full of energy-saving features which make it a flagship for Chesterfield Borough Council's conservation credentials.

Due to open to the public in March, the Healthy Living Centre will generate up to  40% of the energy it needs to operate from solar and other renewable sources.

It has got a host of energy-saving measures including:

Solar water heating (roof-mounted panels that turn sunlight into hot water)
State-of-the-art gas turbine combined heat and power unit (a highly efficient engine with few moving parts that generates electricity and hot water)
Grey water recycling (using rainwater rather than mains water)
Waste heat recycling (this means that all the heat generated by people using the fitness equipment is used to heat fresh air entering the building)
Lighting sensor controls (switches lights off when they are not needed)
Pool cover (insulates the pool water when the pool is not being used)
High insulation standards
Wind catchers to the soft-play and climbing wall areas (provide natural  ventilation)
Variable speed pumps (constantly adjust flow to match the system requirements)
Computer-controlled building energy management system (measures the temperature outside and sets the heating and ventilation to provide maximum efficiency)
Eco-labelled white goods (the most energy-efficient)
Thermostatic mixer valves (to ensure optimum temperatures)
A domestic recycling point for glass, paper, cans and plastic.

Chesterfield Borough Council Leader, Cllr Ray Russell, said: "The new centre is often referred to locally as 'the big blue building' because of the colour of the exterior cladding, but this impressive list of energy-saving features demonstrates that it truly is 'green'.

"As well as providing the most modern fitness facilities available, it is leading the way in demonstrating how green technology can help conserve the Earth's resources."

The Centre is due to open to the public on Monday, March 3 with a formal public opening ceremony due in May. It offers the following features for users - a 25m swimming pool with moveable floor, Indoor climbing wall, Children's soft play arena, Crèche & outside play area, Starbucks-type coffee bar, 150-station fitness suite, two dance studios, Health spa and two meeting rooms.

For more information, contact the Centre on 01246 345666.