Funds bid to decarbonise town buildings

Scarborough Council has applied to the Government for funding to support its net-zero policies of decarbonising and retrofitting community buildings in the borough.

A council plan to help decarbonise 10 community buildings through the introduction of solar panels, improved insulation, and better heating is progressing, according to council officials.

The community buildings which are located across the borough include five village halls as well as scout huts, community libraries, and community theatres.

Scarborough Council’s cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff called for a broader conversation and more cooperation between different organisations when it comes to decarbonisation work.

Cllr Donohue-Moncrieff said: “Part of the work we’re doing is scoping out and actually saying these are the steps that it would take for these types of buildings to be brought up to that level.

“It is not quick and it is not easy, and you have to be realistic.”

Scarborough Council’s climate change and carbon reduction officer Harry Baross said that overall the council was also taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint, although this had been impacted by the authority’s takeover of Scarborough

Spa which he described as a “huge energy guzzler”.

Mr Baross added that the council was pleased with its recent funding application for the creation of 48 electric vehicle charging points across the borough as well as its work to transform the council’s refuse collection vehicles to run on hydrotreated vegetable oil.