Early in 2023, the BBC reported that more than 350 leisure centres, pools and gyms across the UK have either closed temporarily or permanently or changed their services in response to rising energy bills.

While there are early signs that the energy bills crisis is easing, the issue has highlighted the challenges that many local authorities are facing managing old and inefficient buildings.

So in this episode we discuss how the public and private sectors can work together to develop long-term solutions to ensure leisure centres, existing and yet to be built, are fit for a sustainable future.

You'll hear from Councillor Hannah Dalton, leader of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council and the District Council Network spokesperson on health, hardship and housing, Nick Herd, the Head of Building Services Engineering for Kier's Design Services Business, and Joe O'Connell, project manager for St Sidwells Point Project in Exeter. The UK's first Passivhaus leisure centre.