A project to make The Pickaquoy Centre more energy efficient begins next month with a move to replace and install LED lighting units across many areas of the facility.
The project, which is expected to take ten weeks, will be carried out by local contractor R S Merriman Ltd with work commencing from Monday 12 April.
With nearly 800 lamps being replaced, the initial areas to see improvements as part of phase one will be the Arena, the corridors across both levels of the centre, and the Athletics Track. Phase two is likely to happen later in the year.
Although the contractors will aim to carry out the work with as little disruption to the public as possible, the Arena will be closed from Sunday 18 April at 1:15pm until Monday 26 April 11:15am inclusive. This includes the closure of all activities such as the CV Gym, climbing wall and court hire. In addition, daytime public sessions on the Athletics Track will be cancelled for a short period of time. These dates will be confirmed as soon as possible.
James Linklater, Managing Director of The Pickaquoy Centre, said: “We are extremely grateful to Orkney Islands Council for this investment into the facility. This will not only be beneficial from an environmental point of view, but will also give significant cost savings for the trust, helping us to continue reinvesting into the facility.
“We appreciate that this will cause some disruption to our service offering but hope that customers understand the long-term benefits of this initiative. LED lights are much more energy efficient, have a longer life span and are more reliable, so we are delighted that this project is going ahead.
“The Arena closure in particular will impact our customers and we understand this is an inconvenience, but all other services that are currently available will remain in place, and fortunately the closure will be minimal.”
Keith Foubister, Works and Inspection Manager at Orkney Islands Council, said: “OIC is responsible for carrying out the end of life renewal works for The Pickaquoy Centre. We have therefore decided to take advantage of the opportunity and upgrade the lighting to a much more energy efficient system to reduce ongoing maintenance and running costs which will benefit the facility for years to come.”
Activities that will continue to be available during the Arena closure under Level Three restrictions are:
- The Gym and S&C Gym
- Swimming Pool
- Outdoor Fitness classes
- Picky @ Home classes
- Squash & Racquetball
- Table Tennis
- Athletics Track
- Climbing & Bouldering
- Personal Training
- Wellness & Beauty treatments
For more information, or to book online, you can browse The Pickaquoy Centre website.