Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1472631
10 COMMERCIAL 7.7.2022 NEPTUNES Waterpolo Club will as of this October start to heat their out- door pool using a new electric heating pump which will save the club thou- sands of euros and significantly reduce its carbon footprint. is investment of €450,000 is being made possible after the Planning Authority, through its De- velopment Planning Fund (DPF) agreed to finance the project. One of the pioneers to promote the sport of swimming on the Island, the club over the years has invested signif- icantly in its infrastructure to ensure that it keeps offering swimming athletes of all ages, the opportunity to improve their potential in the sport and keep a healthy lifestyle. Heating and operating the pool be- tween October and May has been a fi- nancial challenge for the club. e club's management explored new technolo- gies to find a solution which could be beneficial both financially and environ- mentally. In truth, with the installation of the new pumping system not only will there be a substantial reduction in the localised emissions of the existing gas boiler but the savings in CO2 will be equivalent to planting 15,000 trees each year. e funding application was submitted co-jointly with the Eastern Regional Council. e Minister of Public Works and Planning Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi ex- plained how these funds provided by the Planning Authority will contribute in reaching three main objectives. First to use the budget generated from plan- ning procedures into projects in various communities and secondly, to encour- age the general public to make use of sports facilities at the centre of our lo- calities. e third goal is for our coun- try to become more energy efficient and make another step forward towards a carbon-neutral economy by further re- ducing carbon emissions into the air. Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi went on to say that he looks forward "to similar projects that contribute to the gener- al well-being of our communities but above all, that support our environment and Malta's commitment Malta's efforts and commitment in the mitigation and adaption to climate change."Perit Vin- cent Cassar, Chairperson of the DPF Committee said "e PA is proud to be associated with this project because it is a direct investment in the discipline of sports and increases the number of swimming facilities during the winter months. More importantly, this invest- ment is transforming the way we do sports and puts environmental impact at the forefront of the way we operate our facilities." Perit Cassar added "Con- scious of the fact that sport is a catalyst to a healthier mind and body, the Au- thority at the end of last year removed all development planning application fees on proposed infrastructural sports projects. From our end, we want to pro- mote the introduction of new sports facilities and the upgrading of existing ones." is is not the only project in the sports field that Authority has financed through the DPF. Over the past months, it also financed the new €2.2million Si- ren's state-of-the-art centre in St. Paul's Bay which is in its final stages of com- pletion and a two-storey extension to the clubhouse of a tennis court in the locality of Swieqi. e extension will provide several sports organisations with much-needed office space and meeting rooms for training, seminars and lectures. Neptunes President Matthew Bonel- lo wholeheatedly thanked the Regional Council and the Planning Authority for the financial support towards upgrad- ing the club's heating system. e new heating system will significantly reduce the running costs allowing the club to invest further in it's atlethes as well as other parts of the club's infrastructure. e new heating system, apart from being more environmentally friend- ly, is also expected to be more reliable then the existing gas powered system, which tends to stop unexpectedly quite reqularly. e fund receives financing from a few different sources, with on-street parking fees being the most significant among them. e idea is that the com- munity needs to be compensated for the shortfall of the car parking spaces that the project would require. Plan- ning gains too make up a portion of the fund, whereby a developer of a sizeable new development is asked to make a fi- nancial contribution for the inconven- ience caused in the locality where their development occurs. All contributions made towards the DPF are kept within the locality where the development has been granted. Over the past 5 years, the DPF has financed over 170 projects to the equivalent of €17.5 million. PA funds new energy-efficient heating pool pump system at Neptunes Waterpolo Club