Council wins £8.5 million to ‘green’ its buildings

Bury Council has received a grant of £8.5 million to cut carbon emissions in its buildings and take the lead for the rest of the borough to follow.

Improvements will be made to 16 council buildings include double gazing, insulation measures, air source heat pumps, solar panels and LED lighting. This will lead to total annual energy savings of £265,160 and reduce annual carbon emissions by 1,033 tonnes.

Local authority leaders say it is essential that they set an example for the rest of the borough as Bury bids to become carbon neutral by 2038.

Councillor Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment, said: “We will need a ‘step change’ in the way our communities live if we are to reach this target. We will need everyone in Bury to move away from fossil gas heating to renewable energy heat pumps, and improve the insulation of houses.

“We also need to move away from petrol and diesel cars to walking and cycling, public transport, and electric vehicles. This is a huge challenge, but one that we must face to protect the health and wellbeing of our communities.

“To help achieve this change the council must provide leadership for all individuals and organisations in the borough to reduce emissions. We are currently producing our Climate Action Strategy, which will be developed with the community to show how we will progress to our 2038 target.

“The council must also lead by example by decarbonising our own buildings, which must include investment in low carbon measures such as heat pumps and solar energy.”

Of the council’s buildings, schools are responsible for 43% of carbon emissions, while 31% comes from corporate buildings. Street lights and council vehicles each account for 10%.

Over the last 10 years, the council has implemented a wide range of measures in its buildings to reduce carbon emissions including improved insulation, voltage optimisation, double glazing, new low energy lighting and controls, solar water heating, and condensing boilers.

More recently it has:

• Installed 11,431 low-energy LED streetlights meaning that nearly 60% of our streetlights are now LED. A further 3,194 will be fitted with LED over the next five years so that 75% of our streetlighting will be converted.
• Refurbished Killelea elderly persons home to include energy efficiency measures such as combined heat and power, LED lighting, lighting controls, solar panels and a new building energy management system.
• Installed low-energy LED lighting at Ramsbottom Pool, Bury Market, Bury Adult Learning Centre, Bradley Fold Depot and The Villa.
• Installed a 30KWp solar panel scheme at Radcliffe Market and a 25 kWp solar panel scheme at our Bradley Fold Depot.
• Generated 202,682 kWh from renewable energy in council buildings in 2019/20.
  
  

Across Bury as a whole: transport accounts for 45% of emissions, domestic 34% and industry/commercial 21%.

Cllr Quinn added: “The wider goal of a carbon neutral borough by 2038 is an immense challenge, but brings huge opportunity to improve our health, economy, and our environment. By working with our communities and bringing them with us we will hopefully achieve the level of change we need to protect our future.”

The council buildings to be decarbonised are: Bury Business Centre, Bury Cemetery Chapel, Bury Cemetery Facilities, Bury Fish and Meat Market, Manchester Road Park Lodge, New Kershaw Centre, Radcliffe Market Chambers, Ramsbottom Civic Hall, Ramsbottom Library, Ramsbottom Pool and Fitness Centre, Bury Market, Bury Adult Leaning Centre, Bury Town Hall, Bury Museum and Library, The Met, and Castle Leisure Centre.

The grant has come from the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, under which Greater Manchester will receive £78m.

ENDS

Press release issued: 17 March 2021.