Northumberland Council earmarks £6m for climate change projects

A North East council has announced that it has set aside more than £6m for climate change improvements.

Northumberland County Council has formally approved its Climate Change Action Plan for the next two years, laying out plans to reduce the county’s emissions to net zero by 2030.

The plan focuses on seven priority action areas – council policy, engagement and partnership, heating, transport, renewable energy generation, natural resource-based carbon sequestration, and reducing waste.

The council has drawn in grant funding to support a number of schemes, including £2.9m towards a solar car port at County Hall, £2m for a potential Hexham hydro-electric project and £8.6m for renewable heat schemes.

Council leader Glen Sanderson said: “There is significant opportunity for Northumberland to position itself as the centre of the UK’s thriving green economy.

“As a council, we will continue to lead the way by reducing energy consumption of our estate and installing renewable heat and power solutions in our buildings, as well as assessing the carbon impact of all key policy decisions we make.

“But we need the public’s support to have any chance of realising our ambition of a net-zero Northumberland by 2030.

“Every resident, business and visitor to Northumberland will need to make their contribution to see our great county become the UK’s greenest area.”

“We have vast natural resources, already absorbing more carbon than any other English county and with the potential to sequester far more, whilst supporting nature.

“We have resilient, innovative communities eager to build back stronger and greener from the Covid-19 crisis and as a council, we will be seeking to attract green investment, to create jobs and build more green infrastructure which will have a positive impact not only on the climate, but on our day-to-day lives.

“Achieving this net-zero target is driven by a strategic intent to attract green investment to the county, which in turn will grow the green economy and create new jobs.

“We are taking climate change seriously - taking a positive lead on this is a key priority for us.”