The Council has secured more than £300,000 of funding to help its quest to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Following on from previous investment in the Council’s three leisure sites MDDC’s property team has successfully secured £310,821 towards reducing our carbon emissions across the three leisure sites even further.

The funding will allow energy efficiency measures, including the installation of an air source heat pump for reducing gas consumption, as well as both external and internal LED lighting, to be installed. The measures will mean that over the life of the assets CO2 emissions will be cut by 520 tonnes with an annual reduction of around £40,000- £50,000 in electricity charges, as well as the additional benefit of reduced maintenance costs.

Back in May 2019 the Council joined other local authorities in the county and became part of the Devon Climate Emergency Response Group, following Devon County Council’s declaration of a climate emergency. Members agreed to the Devon-wide target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, but will aim for Mid Devon to become carbon neutral by the more ambitious date of 2030.

In October 2020 the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) launched the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (referred to as the Grant Scheme) which will be delivered by Salix. The Grant Scheme offered the public sector £1bn of grant funding for capital energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects,within public sector non-domestic buildings.

Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Cllr Elizabeth Wainwright, said: “This is fantastic news and a positive step for us in achieving our climate and sustainability goals. Our approved Climate Strategy and Action Plan has set the direction of travel for this work, and decarbonising the Council's assets is one milestone along the journey to becoming net zero in our emissions. I'm grateful to Officers who, despite challenging times, worked hard to put this funding proposal together -- it has really paid off."

The work will be completed during September 2021.

Find out more about Mid Devon’s Climate reduction and read about the work the Council has already completed as it works towards its ambitious carbon reduction plan.