DORSET Council has revealed more about how it intends to spend £19 million to help reduce its carbon footprint.

Government funding of £19 million was won by Dorset Council earlier this year to help the authority reduce its carbon footprint.

The money will be used to update and upgrade council properties, switching away from fossil fuels and improving energy efficiency.

Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, Cllr Ray Bryan said: "I’m thrilled that we have been awarded this grant funding for such vital work.

"The £19 million is a huge help in realising our carbon-neutral ambitions as per our Climate and Ecological Emergency declaration and I want to thank Salix, BEIS and all the officers involved in this successful bid."

The funding will target four areas.

This includes: all council properties supplied by oil or LPG, suitable for heat pump heating solutions, leisure centres eligible for advanced heat-pump technology for pools and air handling, and a selected number of larger gas-supplied properties where heat pumps or hybrid heat pump solutions are suitable.

These will include some larger offices and Tricuro sites.

Finally, the funding will also look at the installation or upgrade of Building Energy Management System equipment, enabling improved or continued energy efficiency savings.

This programme of work is a major step in the council’s ambition to become 'zero carbon' by 2040.

It will also lead to significant carbon and revenue savings for the council, estimated to be in the region of 3-3,500 tonnes of carbon per year, with revenue savings from reduced energy use in the region of £400k per year.

All works under this grant must be completed and commissioned by September 2021.